An Elusive Dawn
by theatrewraith
Summary: Adiana finds herself in Season 2 of her favorite show: Supernatural. Now she's staying with Sam and Dean and finding out that living with hunters is much harder than she ever imagined. Dean/OC
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: Many of these chapters will include episodes from Season 2. I take no credit for the ideas and some of the dialogue used in these chapters, except that relating directly to my OC. **

Adiana leapt onto the couch in her apartment and pushed the power button on the remote. The television clicked on. She hurriedly changed the channel over to the CW. The opening credits for Supernatural had just started. Adiana sighed as Sam and Dean's faces filled the screen.

"I love this show." Adiana leaned back and let herself sink into the sofa. "If only it were real. I could use a break from school." Suddenly, pain flared in her forehead spreading across her skull like fire. She put a hand to her head, gasping as the sensation grew stronger. Everything was glowing, fading, gone.

* * *

Sam leaned over the desk his fists clenched. His head was pounding. A vision of a woman lying on a porch filled his head. She was about twenty, tall and thin with gold-blonde hair. She was wearing tight fitting jeans and a deep red hoodie with some school logo printed on the corner. Her eyes were closed, and she looked for all the world like she might be asleep. With the visions he had though, it was more likely that she was dead. As suddenly, as the vision came it was gone. Sam felt a hand on his shoulder. Dean was standing over him with concern etched into his features.

"You alright Sammy?" Sam flexed his hands, letting the blood flow back into them.

"Yeah, Dean. I'm fine."

"What was it this time?"

"There was a woman just lying on a porch."

"That's it?"

"Yeah. I-" _Thud!_ Sam and Dean turned. It sounded as it if something had just landed on the porch. The brothers glanced at each other. Dean took a gun off of the dresser and flicked off the safety. They walked to the door, and Sam threw it open. The doorway was empty. Cautiously, they stepped outside, and that was when Sam noticed the body.

"Dean, it's her."


	2. Not In, Wait Is This Kansas?

Sam had moved down the porch and knelt down beside the woman. Her chest rose and fell slightly. So she was alive. Dean was hovering closer but he still had the gun pointed directly at her.

"Careful Sam. It could be a trap." Nodding, Sam drew a bottle of holy water out of his jacket pocket. He splashed a bit on the woman's chest. She stirred slightly, but other than that nothing happened. Sam put the bottle back in his pocket and carefully as he could without waking her, picked the woman up. Dean stared at him in disbelief.

"Wait, you can't bring her in here."

"You think we should leave her outside? She'll freeze to death."

"We're not sure if she's really human."

"Dean, the water didn't do anything."

"That only works on demons." The brothers scowled at each other. The woman fidgeted a bit and muttered something undistinguishable.

"Fine, but if she stays outside then so do I."

"Don't be stupid Sammy. Get inside."

"No." There was a long pause as Dean weighed the options.

"Fine. Bring her in then." Dean stalked testily to a corner of the room and sat in a chair, still tightly gripping the gun. Sam deposited the woman gently on one of the beds. He turned to shut to shut the door and the lock clicked.

"Look when she wakes up we'll give her the full run down, silver and everything okay?" Sam promised. It was true that she could be some type of creature that they didn't know of, but somehow he just had the feeling that she wasn't. Dean didn't answer, his eyes were fixed on the form stretched out on the bed, waiting. Minutes trickled by. Finally, the woman groaned and sat up. She slowly opened her eyes.

"Well that was really-" She stopped as her eyes took in the scene before her. Her hands gripped the bed as if to make sure this was real. "No way," she mumbled, "No fucking way."

Adiana couldn't believe it. She had to be dreaming. She was asleep on the couch at home, the migraine or whatever it was having knocked her out. That was the only logical explanation.

"Sam?" Sam's mouth twitched with surprise. "Dean?" Dean felt as if his worse suspicion had been confirmed. His eyes hardened.

"How -" Adiana cut Dean off.

"Dean Winchester, born on January twenty fourth, nineteen seventy-nine. You're six foot one and twenty seven years old. You have a thick silver washer ring on your right ring finger, along with two elephant hair bracelets on your right wrist. You also wear a long leather band necklace with a brass amulet, which has an Egyptian protection charm attached. You love your car; a black four-door nineteen sixty-seven Chevrolet Impala license plate KAZ 2Y5. Some of your favorite bands are AC/DC, Metallica and Kansas.

Sam Winchester, born on May second, nineteen eighty-three. You're six foot three and twenty-three years old. You went to Stanford University with your girlfriend Jessica Moore. On November second, two thousand five she was killed by the same demon that killed your mother Mary Winchester and your father John Winchester. You sometimes see vision of people about to be or who already are killed. Am I correct so far?"

"How do you know all of this?" asked Sam. Adiana smiled at him with an almost dazed expression.

"All of the episodes of Supernatural so far. Well, and Wikipedia." Dean once again had his gun pointing at Adiana. She looked at him, eyeing the gun nervously. This wasn't exactly how any of her dreams had gone before. Then again, none of them had felt this real before.

"Tell us exactly what you are and what you want." Adiana cocked an eyebrow. What she was? They didn't really believe she was human. Then again, random woman shows up somehow, what else were they supposed to think? She couldn't even remember how she had gotten here. Another sign that she was dreaming.

"I'm Adiana, and I'm just a human. And as far as I'm concerned I'm asleep on my couch at home, and this is one very realistic dream." Dean ran his finger along the trigger of his gun.

"Cute story, but I'm not buying it."

"Well, I don't know what you want me to say. One minute, I'm watching Supernatural. The next minute, I'm here with you pointing a gun at me. What the hell do you want from me?" Adiana was beginning to feel frustration twisting in her stomach. She didn't know what else to do besides tell the truth. They'd never questioned her before, and she didn't like it. Something was off. Sam just stood silently in the corner as Dean continued to grill her.

"Answers."

"Look all I know is, I was watching Supernatural, in which you are both main characters by the way, and suddenly I got a really bad headache. Maybe it was a migraine. I don't know, I've never had one before. I blacked out and then woke up on this bed. So basically I'm either dreaming or in a television show. That's all I can tell you." Adiana's heart was racing. This was too real, too confusing. Sam finally spoke, stepping just a bit closer to the woman on the bed.

"Dean, I think she might be telling the truth. At least what she thinks is the truth."

"A television show? Come on Sam, I've heard some pretty unbelievable stories, but this one is complete crap." Adiana slipped off the bed, and Dean got up out of his chair. The gun in his hand was cocked in such a way that it warned her not to make another move. Adiana was passed caring about that. If this was a dream, she would just wake up. If it wasn't… she couldn't even consider that option. All she had was to hold on to the facts that she knew.

"It is not! You're the one who deals with weird supernatural occurrences. Why don't you tell me how I could have gotten here?"

"I can't do that."

"Why not?"

"Because it's impossible!"

"If it was impossible then I wouldn't be standing here!"

"You could be here for any number of reasons!" Adiana thought that headache might be coming back and getting into a shouting match with Dean wasn't going to help. She needed time to think, and she wasn't going to get that in here.

"I need some time. If you want to talk with me like a normal person, I will be on the porch." Pointedly ignoring the gun that was still leveled at her, Adiana went to the door, unlocked it and stepped outside shutting the door behind her. Dean made a motion as if to follow her, but Sam put a hand out to stop him.

"Leave it Dean."

"Don't tell me you believe that crap." Sam said nothing. "Aw, come on Sam. That is obviously a load of-"

"I'm not so sure."

"What you think our lives are some television show in some opposite dimension?"

"Yes. No. I don't know. How would she know all this stuff about us Dean? She knows about Jessica. Heck, she even knows your favorite bands. Only a demon might know that much about us, and we already proved she wasn't one of those. So I'm not saying I think our lives are a television show, but I think that's what that woman honestly believes."

"Well, she hasn't convinced me."

"I'm going to go talk to her."

"Sammy."

"Look, I saw her in a vision, so she has to be important somehow." Dean watched warily as his brother opened the door and walked onto the porch, lightly shutting the door behind him.

Adiana sat on the porch steps looking out into the night. She didn't move as Sam sat down beside her. They were both silent for a while, lost in their own thoughts. It was Sam who broke the silence.

"Adiana's an unusual name." Adiana smiled.

"Exactly why my parents picked it. They knew what it was like to be in class with five people who had the same name." There was a pause. "You know," Adiana turned to Sam, "No matter how many times I've watched Supernatural, I never realized what a pain in the ass your brother is." Sam sighed and shrugged.

"You get used to it… Is there really a television show about us?"

"Yeah. Here let me tell you…" and Adiana proceeded to tell him every single episode that she could remember, ending with the most recent, Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things, which she had blacked out during the middle of. "So I guess this means there are parallel universes out there. Either that or my dreams are wicked realistic, which I suppose is also entirely possible."

"I guess."

"You believe me don't you? At least, you think I'm not totally crazy?" Adiana peered up at Sam almost pleadingly. Sam still had a slightly stunned look on his face. This woman really knew most everything important about the past few years of his life. Sure she was missing some things, but it was enough to be impressive.

"It's too hard not to." Adiana let out a sigh of relief. At least one of the brothers was on her side. That would be something for now while she was still sorting everything else.

"Now I just have to convince Dean."

"Maybe not." Adiana and Sam's heads whipped around. Dean was leaning against the doorframe, having been evidently unable to leave his brother alone with a possible threat. "I still don't trust you," Adiana opened her mouth as if to argue, "but you've still pretty damn convincing and cute to top it off." Sam rolled his eyes and Adiana couldn't help but smile. Typical Dean.

"Thanks."

"Now let's get inside. It must be thirty out here." The trio tramped inside, none of them noticing the pair of glowing eyes watching them from inside one of the cars.


	3. Enter Yellow Eyes

**I dedicate this chapter to Alyssa43, writterperson, Nelle07, ilovedaboys, danceswpenguins9, Taiven, JPFAN, Aeicha, Brookey Babe, wicked rose7788, wc fan, and Rae Artemis; my loyal reviewers. Thanks a million for your support.**

Adiana stretched and yawed rolling over in bed. She felt someone gently shaking her. She didn't move. The shaking became more insistent. Resignedly, Adiana opened her eyes and met Sam's gaze. Well, she hadn't woken up on her couch. This was looking more and more like it wasn't a dream.

"Yeah?"

"We're leaving." Adiana tilted her head to look at the clock on the nightstand. It was four thirty am. She groaned and pulled the covers over her head.

"It's too early," she complained, her voice muffled by the blankets. "Can't we leave in a few hours? I need to sleep."

"You can sleep in the car." Adiana lay still trying to think her way out of this situation. She came up blank.

"Alright, I'll get up. Just give me five minutes."

"Two." Dean's voice came from somewhere across the room. There was the sound of him zipping up his duffel bag.

"Four."

"Two."

"Three and a half."

"Two."

"Three."

"Two."

"One. Houston we are cleared for takeoff."

"It's been two minutes." Adiana pulled the blanket off her head and looked at the clock. It was four thirty-two.

"Fine, I'm up." Adiana sat up rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She picked her sweatshirt off the floor and pulled it on. She dragged her fingers quickly through her hair while shoving her feet into her sneakers. "I'm ready."

The trio tramped outside. Dean shoved the duffle bags into the trunk of the Impala and closed it. Adiana slid into the back seat still half-asleep. She put on her seat belt and shifted around a bit, getting comfortable.

"So," said Adiana as Dean turned the keys and the engine started, "Where are we headed?"

"West," stated Sam. Adiana turned to him.

"Got any particular place in mind?"

"Not really."

"So why west?"

"You ask a lot of questions," said Dean, eyeing Adiana distrustfully in the mirror. Adiana leaned against the window, her cheek pressed against the cool glass as she looked back at him.

"My Ethics of Law professor always said that was a good thing." Sam turned around surprised.

"You go to law school?"

"Yes. You seem surprised. Why?"

"You just don't strike me as the type." Adiana laughed.

"Well neither do you, but you went. No but… that's what everyone said. My parents thought I was joking when I said I was going to become a lawyer."

Trees past by, blending together until they became a single blur. Adiana could feel her eyelids drooping. Her breathing became shallow, and eventually she drifted into an uneasy sleep.

* * *

_She was running down a hallway. It was dark and damp, the walls a slick black stone. She passed through pools of light into patches of shadow. Blood was pounding in her ears. It was cold, freezing nearly, and yet the water had not frozen. A steady dripping sound beat with the blood, drumming in her head. What was she running from? She didn't know, but dread was filling her body. There was no doubt in her mind that if she stopped running, something was going to get her. _

_"Sam! Dean!" There was no answer. The hallway forked, and Adiana unable to stop and think chose the left fork. She ran and ran until her muscles were screaming. Her legs burned and her breath became ragged_, _but still she pressed onward. "Sam! Dean!" Again, no answer. She stopped, pitching to the ground, unable to run any further. Helplessly, she began to pound on the walls. The loud bangs echoed down the hall. She beat at the walls until her skin had torn open, rivulets of blood dripping down her clenched fists. An angry sob tore from her throat. It was coming. It was close now. _

_Suddenly, a door appeared in front of her. Adiana turned the knob and flung herself into the room, the door slamming shut behind her. The room was small with grey cement walls. The water was no longer dripping, leaving her in eerie silence. In the middle of the room a man stood, his back to her._

_"Excuse me." The man didn't move. "Sir?" Adiana gingerly got to her feet, her legs protesting as she walked towards the man. "Hello?" She reached out and put a hand on his shoulder. The man jerked around grabbing her wrist. She met his eyes; bright yellow eyes. Startled, Adiana tried to wrench her hand from the man's grip, but it was too strong. The man, the Demon grinned cruelly at her._

_"Hello Adiana." Adiana shivered as if ice had been rubbed down her spine. This was what she had been running from; she knew it the moment he spoke. "I've wanted to speak with you." _

_"Let me go."_

_"Let you go? I don't think so." The Demon pulled her closer. "No, I want to know what you're doing here Adiana." Instead of answering, Adiana tried to knee him, but the Demon smashed his foot down on hers. She sank to the floor, biting back a groan of pain. It felt like he had shattered the bones in her foot. "Tsk, tsk Adiana. Manners. Now," the Demon yanked her up, despite the quivering in her legs, "Answer the question."_

_"No." The Demon's face turned livid, but it calmed instantly. It put a hand to her face. _

"_Such a pretty girl. It would be a shame to kill you." Adiana said nothing. The pain from her foot was making her lightheaded, and she was fighting very hard to keep from passing out. "I'm not very patient Adiana, but I'll ask you one more time. How did you get here?" Adiana stared at him for a moment then hurled herself backwards. She just managed to pull out of the Demon's grip, arms flailing as she fought to keep her balance. She turned to sprint for the door only to realize that it was no longer there._

"_No." Her voice was laced with fear. She felt a hand on her shoulder. "No!" She turned to face his burning yellow eyes._

* * *

"Adiana." Adiana's eyes flashed open. She sat up breathing heavily. It was only a dream. Thank God, it just a dream. Both Winchester brothers were watching her with concern. Dean had pulled the Impala to the side of the road. "Are you okay?" asked Sam.

"Yeah, just a bad dream. I'm fine."

"You're sure?"

"Positive." The brothers traded glances, but they both turned back around in their seats. Dean started the Impala. Adiana looked out of the window. It had seemed so real, the pain in her legs and those eyes. She took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of the leather seats and calming her nerves. A dream within a dream, that never happened right?

"Your dream." Adiana looked up at Sam who glanced at her in the mirror. "What was it about?"

"It was about…" The truth or not? Adiana really didn't want to tell them, but she knew she probably should. Somehow she thought they'd know if she was lying, and she was trying to earn their trust. "It was about the Demon."

"The demon? As in a demon or-"

"The Demon. The one that killed your parents. The one that killed Jessica." Sam jerked around, and the Impala swerved in the road as Dean almost did the same. Sam's eyes were wide, his lips parted in shock for a moment.

"What did it say?"

"I don't think that it's-"

"What did it say?" Dean's tone was cold. Adiana immediately wished she hadn't told them. It only made them upset, and she should have known that would be the general reaction.

"It wanted to know how I had gotten here. That's all. It was just a stupid dream." The brothers said nothing. Adiana bit her lip and tried to make herself as small as possible in the back seat, wishing she could just sink straight through the floor instead.

Next rest stop, Dean pulled in. The Impala came to a halt.

"I need to eat. You guys want something?" Adiana hadn't eaten yet today and it was already growing dark.

"Sure." Adiana unbuckled and opened the door. She followed Dean into the mini-mart while Sam went around the side, presumably to the rest room. Once inside, Adiana wandered up and down the aisles. She finally decided on a blueberry muffin and a bottle of iced tea. She walked up to the counter with Dean who had two bags of chips, a slice of apple pie, a bottle of Coke and a six pack of beer. Dean paid, and they left the mini-mart. Sam still hadn't come back from the rest room. Dean shoved the food in the front seat.

"I'm gonna find Sam."

"I'll wait here." Adiana sat in back in the backseat, contentedly chewing on her muffin. A few minutes later, the brothers come back. They sat in their seats, and Dean moved the food between them. Sam's face was wet and he looked shaken. Adiana watched him carefully.

"What's up?"

"I just… I just had a vision." Adiana had been about to take another bite of her muffin but she lowered it into her lap in surprise.

"What about?"

"There was this black man. He was on his cell phone and then he went into a gun shop. He asked to buy a gun and once he had it, he loaded it and shot the owner."

"Damn. Do you know where this guy is?"

"No."

"So where are we going?"

"The Roadhouse."


	4. Simon Says Part I

**I dedicate this chapter to my wonderful reviewers: writterperson, Taiven, Alyssa43, wcfan, Rae Artemis, danceswpenguins9. **

Adiana followed Sam and Dean into the Roadhouse. She eyed the few occupants of the tables. One older man, messily dressed and unshaven, winked at her. She turned away in disgust, moving slightly closer to the Winchester brothers.

"Just can't stay away huh?"

"Yeah, looks like it. How you doin' Jo?" Adiana turned at the mention of Jo's name. Jo stood in front of them, one hand resting on her hip. Oh great, not this woman. She'd been hoping that maybe they wouldn't run into her. Adiana slid even closer to Dean.

"Where's Ash?" asked Sam.

"In his back room-"

"Great." Sam quickly passed Jo.

"- and I'm fine."

"Sorry. He's - we're kinda on a bit of a timetable." Jo bobbed her head understandingly. Adiana recoiled inwardly. "So…" Dean left her there, somewhat reluctantly. Adiana started to follow him when Jo grabbed her shoulder.

"Hey." Adiana turned slowly to face Jo. "Where do you think you're going?"

"To see Ash with them." She gestured to the doorway Sam and Dean had disappeared through.

"I don't think so."

"Well, apparently you didn't notice that I came in here with them, so I have every right to go back there."

"I didn't see you with them."

"I was right behind them. Ask anyone. Ask that man over there." Adiana jerked her head in the direction of the man that had winked at her. Jo looked suspiciously at Adiana and walked over to the man. Adiana turned abruptly and began walking towards the back.

"Hey." She didn't turn around. "Hey. Hey!" Adiana felt Jo's arm on her shoulder. She shrugged it off. "Who are you?"

"Adiana and that's all you need to know." Jo frowned for a moment then turned away. "That and Dean's mine," muttered Adiana under her breath. Jo turned around.

" 'Scuse me?"

"Nothing." Jo gave Adiana another glance over. Adiana smiled sweetly. Satisfied, Jo walked off. The smile dropped of Adiana's face. She turned around just as Sam and Dean came out of the back hallway.

"Ok." Ash came through the doorway behind them and crossed the room to his computer. He flipped the screen open and it immediately lit up. He looked to the Winchesters. "What are we looking for?" Sam pulled up a seat next to Ash, and Dean stood behind him. Adiana sat next to Sam, but kept an eye on Jo at the bar. Sam pulled out a piece of paper.

"This." On the paper was drawn a symbol of a road going off into the distance with BLUERIDGE written under it. Ash quickly typed something on his keyboard. The screen flashed and a site popped up.

"Well, we got a match, ya see? Logo for the Blueridge bus lines Guthrie, Oklahoma."

"Okay, do me a favor. Check Guthrie for any demonic signs or omens or anything like that."

"You think the Demon's there?" Ash looked questioningly at Sam. Adiana rested her chin in her hands. Her eyes roved the bus schedule on the screen.

"Yeah. Maybe." At this, Adiana looked at Sam. The Demon. She thought back to her dream from earlier and then shook it out of her head. Ash's hands hovered over the keyboard.

"Why would you think that?"

"Just check it alright?" Dean stared down at Ash. Ash only stayed still for another moment before clicking a few keys. Dean looked at Sam who returned the glance almost apologetically. Ash glanced over the screen.

"No sir. Nothing. No Demon."

"Alright, try something else for me. Search Guthrie for a house fire. It would be in nineteen eighty-three. The origin of the fire would be a baby's nursery. Night of the kid's sixth month birthday." Ash threw him an incredulous look. Dean looked to Sam, then back at Jo. Jo was glancing over with considerable interest. Adiana bristled. Jo met her eyes. They both stared at each other, neither willing to look away in defeat.

"Ok. Now that is just weird man. Why the hell would I be looking for that?" Sam picked up a bottle and placed it in front of him.

"Cause there's a PBR in it for you."

"Give me fifteen minutes." As a man approached the bar, Jo finally turned away. Adiana settled back in her chair, satisfied. Dean turned away for the computer screen.

"Well, I need a beer. Jo?"

"Sure thing. Sam?" He shook his head. Her eyes fell on Adiana and turned considerably less friendly. "Adiana?"

"No thanks." Dean sat down at the bar. Jo opened a beer, poured it in a glass and placed it in front of Dean.

"Are you okay Adiana?" Adiana turned from the bar to Sam.

"Sorry, what'd you say?"

"You look majorly pissed off."

"No, I'm fine. Just... thinking."

"About?"

"Not important, just dumb stuff. Everyone always said I over think everything."

"Not always a bad thing."

"No… except when I zone out on a person and they think I'm staring at them. Or when I make a weird face." Adiana crossed her eyes and dropped her jaw. The corners of Sam's mouth tugged up in a small grin. Adiana's face relaxed back to normal. "What about you? Twitchy eye, lip biter, drummer? You're not a nose picker are you?"

"No, nothing like that." Adiana raised an eyebrow.

"Well there must be something. Do I have to ask Dean?" Adiana half rose out of her seat, but Sam put a hand on her knee.

"Don't."

"Afraid of what he'll tell me?" Adiana hovered in the air for a moment before sitting back down. Jo walked over to the jukebox and slipped in a quarter. REO Speedwagon started to play. Adiana looked over at her as she began to talk to Dean. "That sneaky bitch."

"What?"

"Sorry, did I say that out loud? I was just…"

"Thinking?" Sam finished with a smile. Adiana gave an apologetic shrug, and luckily for her Ash handed Sam a folder of papers.

"Here ya go."

"Thanks Ash." Sam got up and Adiana followed him. He walked over to Dean.

"We have a match. We got to go."

"Alright Jo. See you later." Dean got up to follow Sam and Adiana out.

"Oh, Dean, Sam!" The trio stopped and turned around. Ash stood there looking slightly disturbed. "There was a reading on the computer. The Demon showed up."

"Where? When?" the brothers blurted at the same time.

"At seven fifteen it moved down Route one twenty-five in Indiana for about two hours and then vanished."

"But that's where we were driving," said Sam. Ash shrugged his shoulders.

"Well, you missed it. Wish I could tell ya more." He turned around and walked back to his room. The Winchesters stood stock still for a moment before walking out the front door. Adiana followed behind them her dream floating back to the surface of her thoughts.

* * *

The trees flashed past as the trio was speeding along to Guthrie. The blackness of the night filled the Impala and Adiana's thoughts.

"Even as I wonder, I'm keeping you in sight. You're a candle in the window on a cold dark winter's night. And I'm getting closer than I than I ever thought I might," Dean sang.

"You're kidding right?" said Sam.

"I heard the song somewhere. I can't get it out of my head. I don't know man. What d'ya got?"

"Andrew Galager. Born in eighty-three, like me. Lost his mother in a nursery fire exactly six months later, also like me."

"You think that the Demon killed his mom?"

"Sure looks like it."

"How did you even know to look for this guy?"

"Every premonition I've had has been about the Demon or the other kids the Demon visited. Like Max Miller, remember him?"

"Yeah, but Max Miller was a psycho."

"The point is he was killing people and I was having the same type of visions about him. And now it could be happening all over again with this Galager guy."

"How do we find him?"

"I don't know. No current address, no current employment. Still has money on all his bills; phone, credit, utilities."

"Collection agency flags?"

"Not in the system."

"They just let him take a walk?"

"Seems like it. There's a work address from his last interview about a year ago. Let's start there." The car filled with silence. Adiana was still replaying the dream over and over. The Demon, she had seen the Demon. She was sure of it now. But why would it come to her? Sam's voice cut through her thoughts.

"It still bugs me though, that we missed the Demon. It was following us."

"It couldn't have been too close or one of us would have seen something."

"One of us did see something, remember?" Dean looked back at Adiana in the mirror.

"What are you talking about?"

"Your dream," said Sam suddenly. He turned around to Adiana, his eyes wide. She nodded.

"I don't think it was just a dream." Shocked silence filled up the Impala. Adiana turned back towards the window, and Sam turned slowly back around in his seat. Dean continued to watch Adiana as she pressed her cheek against the glass and closed her eyes. Who was this woman?


	5. Simon Says Part II

**This chapter is dedicated to my reviewers: Taiven, wicked rose7788, Alyssa43, wcfan.**

Yawning, Adiana sat up in the backseat. The morning sun was coming through the windows, warming her face. She let herself bask in its glow for a moment. Then, she realized that Sam and Dean weren't in the Impala with her. She peered out the window. They had stopped in front of a small diner. Adiana was about to open the door when Sam and Dean came out of the diner. They strode down the steps and climbed into the Impala. Adiana stretched out her arms.

"Well, did you find him?"

"Not yet," answered Dean, "But we know where to look."

"Here." Sam turned around and handed Adiana two pieces of buttered toast wrapped in a napkin and a cup of coffee with some cream and packets of sugar.

"Thanks." Adiana put down the cream and sugar, preferring her coffee black, and took a large gulp of the steaming liquid. She watched the streets go by as she ate her breakfast. A couple of people glanced at the Impala, but other than that they were pretty much invisible. It never really struck Adiana as strange until now. It wasn't as if a sixty-seven Impala drove by every day, and yet no one ever seemed to notice. The conventions of television… or life now. It was still weird to think about.

Dean pulled the Impala over and it came to a stop, the rumbling of the engine cutting out. Adiana, done with her breakfast, looked around. A large van with a Viking queen riding a polar bear caught her eye. That was one really messed-up van.

"I'm sorry, I'm starting to like this dude. That van is sweet." Adiana looked from Dean to the van disbelievingly. He had got to be kidding.

"That's Andrew Galager's car?"

"Yup," said Dean. He turned to Sam who was staring worriedly at the van. "What?"

"Nothing."

"Sam, you look like you're sucking on a lemon. What's going on?"

"This Andrew Galager. He's the second guy like this we found Dean. Demon came to them when they were kids. Now they're killing people."

"We don't know what Andrew Galager is. He could be innocent."

"My visions haven't been wrong yet."

"What's your point?"

"My point is I'm one of them."

"No you're not."

"Dean, the Demon said he had plans for me and children like me."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah and maybe this is his plan. Maybe we're all a bunch of psychic freaks. Maybe we're all supposed to be-"

"What, killers?"

"Yeah."

"So the Demon wants you out there killing with your minds, is that it? Oh, give me a break. You're not a murderer Sam. You don't have it in your bones."

"No? Last I checked I kill all kinds of things."

"Those things were asking for it. There's a difference." Adiana watched the argument her eyes flicking back and forth.

"He's right, Sam," she added after they had stopped. "You wouldn't kill anything unless it deserved it." At least, that is what Adiana hoped. Sam just continued to stare out the window.

"Got him." Dean and Adiana turned to the window. Andrew Galager had just left an apartment. He walked down the street in a robe and waved to a girl hanging out one of the windows. He talked to a man who had been walking nonchalantly down the street for a few seconds, and the guy handed Andrew his coffee. The, he stopped to talk to a heavy, black man.

"That's him. The older guy. That's him, the shooter," said Sam.

"Well, you keep on him. I'll stick on Andy. Go." Sam opened the door to the Impala and got out. Adiana stayed in the back seat, her eyes following Andy to his van. Andy jumped into the front seat of his van and began to drive. Dean pulled the Impala out onto the street and began to follow him. They stayed close behind, following every turn and stop Andy made.

"Aren't you too close? He might notice something." Dean didn't answer and didn't ease up any. Adiana frowned. Men and their egos sometimes. The van pulled to a stop, and so did the Impala. Andy got out of the van. Adiana was silent, but she willed Dean to turn the Impala around before he got close. Dean carefully picked up a gun and held it under his coat as Andy came up to Dean's door.

"Hey," said Andy.

"Hey."

"This is a cheery ride."

"Yeah thanks."

"Manual, sixty-seven Impala if you ask me. This is a serious classic."

"Yeah," Dean took his hand out from under his coat. "You know I just rebuild it too. Can't let a car like this one go."

"Damn straight. Hey, can I have it?"

"Sure man."

"What!" Adiana gasped in surprise. Dean would never give up his car, ever. Yet, Dean opened the door and jumped out. Adiana began to slide very slowly towards her own door.

"Sweet." Andy slipped into the front seat.

"Just hop right in there." Dean closed Andy's door. "There you go."

"Thanks. Nice. Take it easy."

"Alright."

"And I'll be taking your girlfriend too."

"No problem." Adiana put her hand on the door handle. Andy turned around.

"Stay here." Adiana felt a strange churning in her stomach. She tried to move the handle and realized she couldn't. "Say goodbye." Adiana found herself leaning out the window as Andy drove away. Adiana tried again to move the handle. Nothing. It looked like he was a psychic after all.

"Bye Dean," Adiana called. The Impala rounded the corner and Dean was out of sight.

* * *

Dean pulled out his cell and dialed Sam's number. Sam picked up, sounding anxious.

"Dean, Andy's got the Impala."

"I know. He just sort of asked me for it and then I let him take it."

"You what?"

"He Obi-waned me. It's mind control man. He's got Adiana too."

"He what? You didn't get her out of the Impala?"

"No."

* * *

"Thank God." Adiana had been lying down in the back seat, but she sat up when she heard Dean's voice, softened by the window between them. "I'm sorry baby. I'll never leave you again." Of course the car would be his number one priority.

"Aw, I missed you too," said Adiana. Dean gave Adiana a quick glance. She grinned.

"We're glad you're here Adiana," said Sam, to make up for Dean's lack of attention. Adiana hadn't been that hurt, but it did make her feel better.

"Thanks Sam." Dean walked around, inspecting the Impala.

"At least he left the keys in it."

"Yeah," Sam snorted. "Real Samaritan this guy."

"Looks like he can't work his mojo just by twitching his nose. He's got to use verbal commands."

"The doctor had just gotten off of his cell phone when he walked in front of that bus. Andy must have called him or something."

"I don't know. Maybe."

"Beg your pardon?"

"I just don't know if he's our guy Sam."

"Dean, you had O.J. convicted before he got out of his white Bronco, and now you have doubts about this?"

"He just doesn't seem like the stone-cold killer type. That's all. And O.J. was guilty."

"Either way. How are we going to track this guy down?"

"Not a problem." Dean opened the driver's door and got in as Sam followed suit on the passenger's side. Dean started the car and pulled out of the parking lot. Adiana shuffled in the back seat. Her legs were beginning to get cramped up. Hopefully, they found Andy soon so she could get out and stretch her legs.

Minutes later, Dean pulled up behind Andy's van. The brothers stepped out of the Impala. Adiana tried reached for the handle and found that she still couldn't open it. She had hoped that Andy's command would have worn off by now.

"That bastard." Dean and Sam stared at her through the window. "Andy told me I was not to leave the car. I still can't get out." Dean's eyebrows knit together.

"Seriously?" Adiana sighed.

"Do I look like I'm kidding?" The brothers glanced at each other and walked to the van. "Great. Thanks for the sympathy guys." Adiana glared down at the floor in defeat. "I hate mind control."

* * *

Adiana munched on the hamburger, trying to think of a way to get herself out of the mind control. There wasn't anything she could think of, in fact; there probably wasn't anything at all. She'd have to wait until they tracked down Andy. Dean crumpled up his hamburger wrapper.

"Bleck." Dean tossed the wrapper in the back, and it landed on Adiana's lap. She picked it up and placed it beside her. This was just not her day. "You know one day, I'd love to just sit down and eat something that I didn't have to microwave in a mini-mart." Adiana folded her own hamburger wrapper and put it on top of Dean's.

"Well that could be arranged. If I could get out of this god-damn car."

"Hey, don't insult her." Dean put a hand lovingly on the dashboard. "She didn't mean it baby." Adiana rolled her eyes.

"What I don't get is the motive." Sam spoke as if he was continuing a thought that had been turning around and around in his mind. "I mean, the doctor was squeaky clean. Why would Andy waste him?"

"If it is Andy."

"Dude enough."

"What?"

"The doctor was mind controlled in front of a bus. Andy just happens to have the power of mind control. You do the math."

"I'm still don't think the guy's got it in him, that's all."

"Well how would you know? I mean, why are you bending over backwards defending him?"

"It's because Andy liked his car," interjected Adiana.

"It's just not right about this."

"About Andy?"

"Hey!" The trio jumped and turned to face Andy through Dean's open window. "You think I haven't seen you two?"

"Three," said Adiana. Andy ignored her.

"Why are you following me?"

"Well, we're lawyers. See a relative of yours has passed away-" started Sam.

"Tell the truth."

"That's what I-"

"We hunt demons." Adiana and Sam stared at Dean.

"Dean," Sam warned.

"Demons and spirits. Things your worst nightmares wouldn't even touch. Sam here, he's my brother."

"Dean, shut up."

"I'm tryin'. He's psychic, kinda like you. Well not really like you, but see he thinks you're a murderer, and he's afraid that he's gonna become one himself 'cause you're all part of something that's terrible. And I hope to hell that he's wrong, but I'm starting to get a little scared that he might be right." Andy looked from Dean to Adiana.

"What about you? The truth." Adiana clamped her mouth shut. Don't say anything, don't say anything. Her mouth wrenched itself apart.

"Well you see, I was sitting at home watching Supernatural when I somehow got transported into the show. And I thought this was a dream for a while but now I'm pretty sure it's not. So where I'm from this is all a television show. I starting watching it was it first came out, and I absolutely loved it. So now I'm here with Sam and Dean, and I think that they're both incredibly sexy." Damn, did that just come out of my mouth? "I really wish one of them would ask me out, especially-"

"Stop," said Andy. Adiana's face had turned bright pink, and the second Andy let her go, her mouth snapped shut a horrified expression on her face. The brothers were staring at her, but she couldn't even meet their gaze. Sam looked shocked. Dean looked mildly amused. "Okay, you know what? Just leave me alone."

"Okay," chorused Dean and Adiana. Andy began to walk away, and Sam got out of the Impala behind him. Adiana turned to watch them, her cheeks still flaming. They talked for a couple of seconds. Dean got out of the Impala, and hurried to Sam as he collapsed to the ground. Not another vision. Fire engine sirens screamed in the distance. They came closer and the trucks roared past. Dean hurried to the Impala and took off. Adiana continued her examination of the world out the window, too embarrassed to even ask where they were going. This was certainly going to make things a lot more interesting.

Finally, they pulled in beside a gas station where all the fire trucks had gathered. Dean got out of the Impala. Adiana stayed in her seat, not that she had a choice. She watched Dean pull out his cell and talk to, she assumed, Sam. After, he walked around talking to a few people at the scene. He got back in the Impala and the engine rumbled to life.

"So what happened?" Adiana finally asked, knowing she was going to have to move past this incident eventually.

"A woman killed herself, just like the doctor. They were both on their cells before it happened."

"Any idea who's behind it?"

"Not really." Adiana nodded before sinking back into contemplative silence. It was a start.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, Dean pulled the Impala in front of the county office. They had gone back to pick up Sam and Andy, who thankfully broke into a conversation about getting birth records. They probably weren't even thinking about what she had said, Adiana realized. Good, that'd dissipate later possibly awkward conversations. Once the car was off, Dean, Sam, and Andy pushed open their doors.

"Hey Andy." He turned to Adiana. "Do you mind letting me out?"

"Oh, yeah. You can get out." Adiana reached for the handle and stepped out of the Impala. She shook her legs a bit, trying to wake them up and everyone walked inside. They met up with a security guard who was none too thrilled about four people showing up unannounced.

"Hey, what do you kids think you're doing?"

"You're taking us back to look at the files," commanded Andy. The guard nodded.

"Follow me." Andy grinned satisfied. The guard led the group to the back and unlocked a door. Everyone trooped inside. Dean, Sam and Adiana spread out, pulling boxes of files off of shelves.

"Probably shouldn't have let you kids in here," the guard muttered, but Andy just put a hand on his back.

"No it will all be fine, all right? Just go get a cup of coffee. These aren't the droids you are looking for."

"Awesome." Dean brought over a huge box. Adiana and Sam were flipping through papers.

"We got it," said Sam. Andy looked over Sam's shoulder.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, Andy it's true. Holly Beckette was your birthmother."

"Uh, does anybody have a Vicodin?"

"Dr. Jennings was your doctor too. I mean, he oversaw the adoption. You have a solid connection to both of them."

"Yeah, but I didn't kill them."

"We believe you," assured Dean. "But who did?" Sam tapped his finger against the certificate.

"I think I got a pretty good guess. Holly Beckette gave birth to twins." Andy leaned back in his chair.

"I have an evil twin."

"Holly put you and your brother up for adoption. You went to the Galager family, obviously, and your brother went to the Weems family from upstate."

"Um, what was my brother's name?" Sam put his finger down on another part of the file.

"Here. Anson Weems. Well, he's got a local address."

"He lives here?"

"Let's get a look at him." Dean pulled out three papers from a machine in the back of the room. He looked at them and showed them to Sam. Adiana could tell they both recognized the man on the paper, though she had no idea who he was.

"Hate to kick you while you're freaked," said Dean. "Take a look at that." He handed Andy one of the papers.

"No way."

* * *

"So where exactly are we going?" asked Adiana.

"To-" Dean broke off as Sam bent over and put a hand to his head. He breathing became heavy and labored. "Sam?" Sam jerked sideways against the window. "Sam." Dean pulled over the Impala and leapt out as Sam opened his door. Adiana watched with trepidation her heart pounding. One hand went hesitantly to his back. "Sam! Hey!" Dean gripped Sam's shoulders. Sam gazed up, his eyes suddenly clear. "It's Tracy. She's going to jump off a bridge."

Dean pulled the Impala into a grassy clearing near to the bridge. The group got out. Dean opened the trunk and handed a gun to Sam.

"Sam, I'm coming with you," decided Andy.

"Andy, no."

"It's Tracy up there, and I'm coming." Sam hesitated before nodding.

"All right." Andy and Sam headed for the bridge. Adiana watched them head around the bend.

"So what's the plan?" Dean pulled out a large automatic gun.

"We're gonna shoot that son of a bitch."

"Okay, at least that's easy to remember." Adiana and Dean turned to watch the bridge apprehensively. They saw Sam take Anson out of the car, the fight, Sam falling, Tracy getting closer and closer to the edge. Dean moved to the right and knelt down on the ground taking aim. He put his finger to the trigger. Adiana was riveted to the spot where she stood, bracing herself for a shot with her hands over her ears. She'd never been this close to a gunshot before. Maybe Sam could talk some sense into Anson though. There was always the chance. She heard Dean shifting where he was crouched. She turned and felt panic grip her as Dean slowly took the gun in his hand and put it to his temple.

"Dean, what are you doing? Dean!" He didn't respond and Adiana pitched forward, kneeling down beside him. She tried to tug the gun away, but she wasn't nearly strong enough. She knew in that moment that he was under the power of Anson's mind control. She had to find a way to snap him out of it. She put her hands on his shoulders and shook him. Not Dean. "Dean, don't listen. Put the gun down. Fight it Dean!" Tear pricked the corners of her eyes as she tried desperately to pry his hand from the trigger, her nails cutting into his skin. His fingers tightened. No. "Please Dean," she begged. "Please." She heard a gunshot and let out a strangled cry, but it wasn't Dean's gun. Dean took a deep breath and put the gun down in the dirt.

"Well that was one of the single worst moments of my life. Right up with Andy taking the Impala."

"Oh, thank God." Adiana threw her arms around Dean. "I thought you were-" She stopped, not wanting to even finish the thought.

"Hey, I'm okay." Dean put a comforting arm around her until she stopped shaking. Once Adiana had calmed down, she let go of Dean and got up. Hopefully, she wasn't going to have to go through anything like that again. Dean picked up his gun and got up beside her. Adiana suddenly thought of earlier and wished she hadn't held onto him for so long. Ugh, that memory was going to make her second guess her every move now.

"We, uh, better check where that gunshot came from."

"Yeah, let's go," Dean agreed. They climbed into the Impala and silently drove up to the bridge. Once there, they quickly made their way over to Sam.

"What happened?" asked Dean.

"Andy shot Anson before he could kill Tracy. Are you okay?" Adiana realized she must still look a little shaken.

"Yeah, fine."

* * *

Morning came, bringing with it the police and an ambulance. Bright red and blue lights flashed against the sky, but the sirens had cut out long ago. Now the only sound came from all of the people milling about. Andy walked over to the trio.

"She won't even look at me." Sam gave him a consoling pat on the shoulder.

"Yeah, she's pretty shaken up."

"No, this is different. This is, uh, I never used my mind thing on her before... before last night. She's scared of me now." Adiana looked to Tracy, and caught her staring at Andy's back.

"She'll get over it in time. She'll come back to you. It's obvious that she still likes you." Andy turned his dejected gaze to Adiana.

"How can you be sure?"

"I'm a girl. I know these things." Adiana gave him an encouraging smile, but he still appeared unconvinced.

"Andy, I hate to do this, but we've got to get out of here. Here," Sam handed Andy a slip of paper, "I wrote down my cell. You don't have to be alone in this all right? If anything comes up, you call me up." The trio started heading back to the Impala.

"What am I supposed to do now?" Andy called after them.

"You be good Andy or we'll be back," advised Dean.

"Looks like I was right," said Sam, "Andy is a killer."

"No, he's a hero. He saved his girlfriend's life. He saved my life."

"Bottom line, last night he wasted somebody."

"But he's not a foaming at the mouth psycho. He was just pushed into that."

"Webber was pushed too in his own way. Max was pushed. Hell, I was pushed by Jessica's death."

"What's your point Sam?"

"Right circumstances, everyone is capable of murder. You know, maybe that's what the Demon is doing. Pushing us. Finding way to break us."

"Sam, we don't know what the Demon wants okay? Quit worrying about it."

"You know I heard you before Dean," continued Sam, "When Andy made you tell the truth. You're just as scared of this as I am."

"That was mind control. That's like being roofied man. It doesn't count."

"What?"

"No. I- I'm calling do-overs."

"What are you seven?"

"It doesn't matter. Look, we just gotta keep doing what we're doing; find that evil son of a bitch and kill it." Dean reached into his pocket as his cell went off. Sam sighed, unconvinced.

"Yeah, I guess."

"Hello. Ellen. Yeah, we'll be right there." Dean started up the Impala.

"So where to?" asked Adiana.

"The Roadhouse." Adiana wrinkled her nose. She had to see Jo again, so soon?

* * *

Inside the Roadhouse, Sam, Dean and Adiana were sitting on stools in front of a very annoyed Ellen.

"So you want to tell me about this last hunt of yours?"

"No, not really," mumbled Dean. "No offense. Just kind of a family thing."

"Not anymore." Ellen pulled out a file of papers and threw them in front of Dean. "I got this stuff from Ash. Andrew Galager's house burned down on his sixth month birthday just like your house. You think it was the Demon both times don't you? You think it went after Galager's family."

"Yeah," said Sam, "We think so."

"Sam," warned Dean.

"Why?" asked Ellen.

"None of your business," said Dean.

"You mind your tongue with me boy. This isn't just your war. This is war. Now, something big and bad is coming, and it's coming fast and their side holds all the cards. Now at best all we got is us, together. No secrets of half-truths here." There was a silence as Sam and Dean traded looks, but ultimately it was Sam's decision.

"There are people out there like Andy Galager, like me and we all have some kind of ability."

"Ability?"

"Yeah, psychic ability. Me, I have visions, premonitions. I don't know; it's different for everybody. The Demon said he has plans for people like us."

"What kind of plans?"

"We don't really know for sure."

"These people out there, these psychics, are they dangerous?"

"No," said Dean, "Not all of them."

"But some are," interjected Sam, "some are very dangerous."

"Well, how many are we looking at?"

"We have been able to track a clear pattern so far," stated Dean. "They've all had house-fires on the night of the kid's sixth month birthday."

"That's not true," Sam pointed out, "Webber or Anson Weems or whatever his name is, I looked at his files and there was no house fire. There's nothing out of the ordinary."

"Which breaks your pattern. So if there's any others like him, there will be nothing in the system. No way to track them all down."

"And so who knows how many of them are really out there."

"Jo, honey. You'd better break out the whiskey instead." Adiana watched as Jo leaned over to get the whiskey, Dean's eyes following her every move. This was going to be a long night.


	6. No Exit Part I

******For my supernatural-tastic reviewers: SuernaturalPirateGirl, , writterperson, Rae Artemis, DrewFullerFanLife, Alyssa43, wcfan, Nelle07, Taiven, 0o0 Blue Angel 0o0**

Adiana lay in bed, white sheets wrapped tightly around her. There was a soft knock on the door. Adiana twitched slightly in her sleep but didn't wake. The door slowly opened, and Sam stuck his head in.

"Adiana." She didn't move. "Adiana." She stirred and simply rolled over. Sam stepped into the room and walked over to Adiana. He placed a hand on her shoulder and gently shook her. "Adiana."

"Is she up yet? We gotta go." Dean slid into the room next to Sam.

"I tried to get her up but…" Sam gestured at Adiana exasperatedly.

"Hey Adiana, wake up." Dean shook Adiana more roughly than Sam. Nothing. "All right, if that's the way you want to play it." Dean grabbed the blanket and yanked it off of Adiana. Her eyes jerked open, she sat up.

"What the h-" Her eyes adjusted and her mind registered Sam and Dean. "Oh."

"Mornin' sunshine. It's time to go. And you might want to get on some pants." Adiana blushed and tugged her shirt down to cover her underwear as Sam and Dean left the room. She slipped out of bed and slowly tugged on her jeans and grabbed her hoodie. Last night seemed to have gone on forever. Adiana had tried to ignore Dean and Jo's banter and interest herself in Sam, but it was hard when Jo was giggling like a school girl every ten minutes. Adiana left the room and entered the bar. Dean and Jo were talking with each other. Again.

"We gonna go or what?" called Adiana heading for the door. Sam came up behind her, and Dean eventually followed. Adiana opened the door and squinted into the dazzling sunlight. "What time is it?" Sam looked down at his watch.

"Nine thirty-seven."

"Really? Feels like it's still early." The trio moved across the dusty parking lot to the Impala. Dean shoved the bags into the trunk. "So where we headed?" asked Adiana.

"Los Angeles California."

"What's in LA?" Sam questioned.

"Young girl's been kidnapped by an evil cult."

"Yeah? The girl's got a name?"

"Katie Holmes." Sam laughed.

"That's funny. She just-" There was a loud smash and a yell from inside the Roadhouse.

"Course on the other hand, cat fight." The brothers ran to the door and hurried inside; Adiana trailing reluctantly behind.

"What are you gonna do, chain me to the floor of the basement?" screamed Jo.

"You know, you've had worse ideas than that lately," retorted Ellen, "You don't wanna stay, then don't stay. Go back to school."

"I didn't belong there. I was a freak with a knife collection."

"Yeah, but working on some dusty back road? That's where you belong?" Jo looked over Ellen's shoulder, suddenly noticing Sam, Dean and Adiana. Ellen also turned around. "Guys. Bad time."

"Yes ma'am," said Sam.

"Yeah, we rarely drink before ten anyway," said Dean. Adiana simply eyed the mother daughter argument. Now where had she seen this before? Ah, yes her own mother… Adiana pushed the subject out of her mind. She didn't like thinking about her parents too much, not when she wasn't going to see them again.

"Wait." They stopped and turned back to Jo. "I want to know what they think about this."

"I don't care what they think about this." A couple with two little kids in their arms walked in.

"Are you guys open?" asked the husband.

"No!" "Yes!" Jo and Ellen shouted at the same time. The couple looked at each other startled.

"We'll just… check out down the road." The family backed out of the door, shutting it behind them. Suddenly, the phone rang. Mother and daughter stared at the phone, then at each other. Ellen sighed and headed for the phone. Jo picked up a folder and shoved it at Dean.

"Three weeks ago, a young girl disappears from a Philadelphia apartment." Dean just stared at her. "Take it, it won't bite."

"No, but you're mom might." Jo held it determinably out to him. Frowning, he took it from her.

"This girl wasn't the first. Over the past eighty years, six women have vanished. All from the same building. All young blondes." Adiana hand reached up automatically for her hair, pulling a lock of it between her fingers. "It only happens every decade or two, so the cops never eyeballed the pattern. So we're either dealing with one very old serial killer or-"

"Who put this together? Ash?"

"I did it myself."

"Wow," muttered Adiana under her breath, "Who knew she could do things by herself?"

"What'd you say?" asked Jo.

"Nothing." Adiana pasted on a smile.

"I gotta admit. We've hit the road for a lot less," said Sam looking over the papers.

"Good, you like the case? You take it." Ellen had apparently finished her phone conversation.

"Mom!"

"Joanna Beth, this family has lost enough. I won't lose you too. I just won't." The room was dead silent. Jo and Ellen stared sadly at each other.

"We'll take it," said Dean. Ellen and Jo didn't say anything.

* * *

Adiana yawned and stretched, sitting up in the Impala. It was parked next to a large apartment building, and Sam and Dean were nowhere in sight. Frowning darkly, Adiana got out of the Impala and slammed the door.

"What is it with people leaving me in this car? I love her but I've had it up to here with-" She broke off when she saw Jo coming up the street. Jo breezed right past Adiana, not actually noticing her. "Hey!" Jo turned around and put her hands on her hips.

"Oh, it's you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothin'." Jo turned around and headed for the apartment door. Adiana ran up behind her, catching the door before it closed.

"What are you doing here?"

"It's my case. I'm gonna take it."

"You really think you can do this?"

"You're here aren't you? And where are Sam and Dean?" Adiana looked away.

"I don't know."

"Well, they can't be far. Why don't you go look for them?"

"I'm staying with you."

"Hey, you two!" The girls stopped as a short, balding man came into view.

"Follow my lead," muttered Jo. Adiana opened her mouth to argue, but clamped it shut as Jo began to talk. "Hi, I'm Jillian Rose and this is my friend Rachael McWilliams. We're here to look at the room for rent."

"Oh," the man looked startled, "Well, follow me." Jo came up beside him, and Adiana watched from behind. They walked up a staircase, the walls white and bare with a few cracks like spider webs splitting up through the walls. Must be a pretty old apartment. The boys had to be around here somewhere. As they stepped off into a hallway, Adiana tuned back in to Jo's voice.

"It's so convenient."

"Yeah. It's a great building, really nice. All the apartments come furnished, too."

"It's so spacious. You know, my friend here told me I absolutely had to come and check it out, and I have to admit that she was right. You did a really good job with this place." Adiana rolled her eyes. She couldn't believe the guy was buying this, but she supposed it was lucky for them that he was. Abruptly, Sam and Dean stepped out from behind a corner.

"What the hell are you doing here?" asked Dean.

"Hey, there you are honey," Jo walked up to Dean, and Adiana followed close behind. Jo flung an arm around Dean. "This is my boyfriend Dean, and his buddy and Rachael's boyfriend Sam." Adiana twined her arm through Sam's and leaned on his shoulder. It least she got some bonus for being with Jo.

"Good to meet ya." The man shook hands with Dean. "Quite a girl you got here."

"Oh, yeah. She's a pistol." Dean forced out a laugh.

"So," interrupted Jo, "Did you already check out the apartment, the one for rent?"

"Yes. Loved it. Great flow," Dean smiled.

"How'd you get in?" asked the man suspiciously. Dean's smile faded a bit.

"The door was open."

"Now Ed, when did the last tenant move out?" questioned Jo.

"Uh, about a month ago. Cut and run, too. She stuck me for the rent."

"Well, her loss our gain 'cause if Dean loves it, it's good enough for me."

"Aw, sweetie."

"We'll take it." Jo pulled out a wad of cash. Adiana's head jerked off of Sam's shoulder. Where'd she get all that money?

"Okay." Ed took the cash, obviously deciding it wasn't worth it to question them. "Here's the key. Let me know if you need anything." He dropped the key into Jo's outstretched palm.

"Will do," promised Jo. She pulled Dean around, and Adiana tugged Sam after them. He winced slightly flexing his hand inside his cast, which he'd had to get after falling over a fence following their last lead. The hunt had been a bust, but Adiana didn't mind having to take care of him until they had gotten to the hospital.

"Sorry," Adiana apologized, rubbing his arm and loosening her grip. Ed watched them leave, shaking his head.

"Kids."


	7. No Exit Part II

**To my amazing reviewers: Brookey Babe, wcfan, naleysocute23, SupernaturalPirateGirl, Alyssa43, and Rae Artemis. **

Adiana held an EMF meter in her hand, her eyes following its direction around the walls. Her face was grim. She couldn't believe Dean was letting Jo stay. Sharing a room with her for a few days was definitely not Adiana's idea of fun. The EMF hummed steadily like a drone of a bee, not letting out even the slightest beep to indicate something supernatural. Adiana had elected to look around the apartment building with Sam, after Jo had stolen Dean away. Adiana shook the EMF and wished it would beep.

"Should I be looking for anything in particular; more ectoplasm or something?"

"Unless there's another attack there shouldn't be any more ectoplasm. We just have to hope the EMF meters pick up something," commented Sam, holding his EMF up near the ceiling.

"Which could take a while."

"Hopefully not."

* * *

Two hours passed, and Adiana and Sam had swept everything without any success. They returned back to the apartment defeated. To their surprise, they found Dean and Jo already looking over the floor plans of the building.

"When did you get back?" asked Sam. Dean checked his watch.

"About forty-five minutes ago. Find anything?"

"No. You?"

"Jo picked something up in a vent. I felt around and found this." Dean held up a bloody clump of blonde hair. Adiana felt her stomach twist unpleasantly and glanced away. Great now Jo looked good, and she just seemed useless. At least Sam seemed put off by the hair as well.

"That's gross man. You think it's from one of the victims?"

"Probably."

"So it's living in the vents?" inquired Adiana.

"We're not really sure yet." Adiana glanced over the plans. The women's rooms and the vent were circled in red marker.

After three hours of pouring over the plans, they still hadn't found any helpful information. Only Jo and Adiana remained awake. Dean had fallen asleep on the large armchair, a curled up map of the first floor in his hand. Sam slept too, his back to the chair with a map of the third floor beside him.

The first rays of light were seeping through the window. A few cars drove down the streets below, an occasional horn blasting through the early morning. Adiana gazed blearily down at the plans for the sixth floor. She brought her hand to her mouth, stifling a yawn.

"If you're tired should go to bed," suggested Jo. Adiana shook her head. She propped herself determinedly on her elbows. "Suit yourself." Adiana eyed the knife Jo was twirling before looking back at the maps. The silence dragged on, both girls gazing down at the table. Adiana strained to keep her eyes open. The floor plans became hazy and seemed to meld together.

"Hey." Adiana's face had almost been pressing against the map, but she jerked up.

"What?"

"I just wanted to apologize."

"What for?" asked Adiana, her head tilted in confusion.

"I guess we got off on the wrong foot. I'm sorry I snapped at you in the bar. I thought…. Well, it doesn't matter what I thought. The point is that we should at least try to be friendly to one another while working on this case. Truce?" Adiana thought for a moment. This didn't mean she'd have to like Jo, did it? No she supposed not, and she had to respect Jo at least for putting their differences aside.

"Truce." The women shook hands. They turned as Sam stirred and stood up. He stretched and picked up the map beside his foot. Placing on the table, he looking down at the women hunched over the table.

"Have you two slept at all?"

"No," they chorused.

"Figure out anything?"

"Yeah, apparently you snore when you sleep sitting up," Adiana joked.

"I've got nothing either," said Jo with a smile.

"Well, I'm going to get some coffee." Sam grabbed the car keys off the counter. They women went back to the plans on the table. They looked over the maps for almost another hour before Dean finally woke up. He shifted and looked over the top of his chair.

"Mornin' princess," greeted Jo.

"Where's Sam?"

"He went to get coffee." Dean moved his legs over the arm of the chair and sat up. He stifled a groan.

"My back." Adiana hid a bemused smile behind one of her hands.

"Easy there, grandpa," joked Adiana.

"How'd you sleep on that big soft bed?" asked Dean, standing up.

"I didn't," stated Jo.

"You?" queried Dean, turning to Adiana.

"Nope."

"We've just been going over everything," explained Jo. Dean eyed the knife in her hand. He picked up his bag and rifled through it, pulling out another knife. He handed it to Jo.

"Here."

"What's this for?"

"It'll work a hell of a lot better than that pig stick you're twirling around." Jo gave her knife to Dean. He turned it around in his hands. He frowned at the name written on the blade.

"William Anthony Harvel." said Jo, her normally passive voice taking on a tinge of sadness. Dean ran his fingers over the name carved into the knife.

"Sorry, my mistake." They traded knives, and Dean put his knife back in his bag. Adiana watched quietly.

"What do you… what do you remember about your dad? I mean, what's the first thing that pops into your head?" Dean silently shook his head. "Come on, tell me."

"I was six or seven and he took my shooting for the first time." Dean sat down in the chair beside Jo. Adiana was too interested in what he was about to say to feel jealous. "You know, bottles on a fence, that kind of thing. I bulls-eyed every one of 'em. He gave me this smile like… I don't know."

"He must have been proud." Dean smiled sullenly.

"What about your dad?"

"I was still in pigtails when my dad died, but I remember him coming home from a hunt. He'd burst through that door like Steve McQueen or something… and he'd sweep me up in his arms, and I'd breathe in that old leather jacket of his. And my mom was sour and pissed when he left, but she started smiling again. And we were… a family. You want to know why I want to do the job? For him. It's my way of being close to him. Now tell me what's wrong with that?"

"Nothing." There was a moment's pause before Sam barreled through the door, startling everyone. "Where's the coffee?" asked Jo. Sam jerked his head toward the window.

"There are cops outside. Another girl disappeared."

"I'll go check it out," offered Dean, "You three stay here." Adiana stood up, as did Jo.

"The hell we will," quipped Jo.

"They won't let all four of us in the apartment." Adiana gave Dean one long hard look before sitting back down. Dean pulled a fake cop id out of his bag and left. Sam took a wad of papers from his back pocket.

"I got these from the library. They're old photographs and articles about this apartment and the area before." Adiana, Jo and Sam began riffling through the papers.

* * *

"Theresa Ellis, apartment 2F. Her boyfriend reported her missing around dawn."

"Her apartment?" asked Jo.

"There's cracks all over the walls, ceiling. There's ectoplasm, too."

"Between that and the tuft of hair, I'd say this sucker's coming from the walls," concluded Sam.

"Yeah, but who is it?" muttered Dean. "The building's history is totally clean."

"Maybe we're looking in the wrong place," said Jo.

"What d'ya mean?"

"Check this out." Jo handed a photo to Sam. Adiana peered at it. It was a picture of a vacant lot.

"An empty field," said Sam.

"It's where this building was built. Take a look at the building next-door."

"The windows," commented Adiana surprised, "There are bars on the windows."

"We're next-door to a prison," recognized Dean. Jo hurried over to the phone. She began to dial. Adiana continued to stare at the photo. Did a ghost from the neighboring prison get here? But how and why? Adiana picked up another photo. Yes, there were the bars again.

"Okay," Jo hung up the phone, "Moyamesing Prison. Built in nineteen thirty-five, torn down in nineteen sixty-three. And get this; they used to execute people by hanging them in the empty lot next-door."

"Well then, we need a list of names of all the people executed there," said Sam. Jo nodded.

"Ash is already on it. I told him to send the list to your computer." Sam grabbed his laptop from off the floor and placed it on the table. Dean, Jo and Adiana circled around him. Sam clicked on a few keys and entered his account. The e-mail from Ash was already waiting.

"He's good," mumbled Adiana. Sam clicked on the e-mail. A list of names popped up. Sam began to scroll down. It was a very long list.

"One hundred fifty-seven names," said Sam once he reached the bottom.

"We got to narrow that down," remarked Dean.

"Yeah."

"Or else we're gonna be digging up a hell of a lot of stiffs." Sam scrolled down the list, slowly this time. He stopped and clicked on a single name. Adiana bent forward for a better look.

"Herman Webster Mudgett." Sam looked over his shoulder at Dean. "Wasn't that H.H. Holmes' real name?"

"You gotta be kidding me. Let me see that." Sam got up and Dean slid into the chair. Sam pulled out a printer and plugged it in. Websites flashed across the screen. Adiana pulled out papers as they came out of the printer. There were pictures of Holmes, articles about the murders and one article about a place called the Murder Castle. The more Adiana saw, the more came back to her. She'd read a book about Holmes once, and from what she could remember he was a very, very nasty man. A few more clicks on the keyboard and a newspaper headline popped up. It read 'Multi-Murder Meets His Match'. "Yup, Holmes was executed at Moyamesing Prison May seventh, nineteen eighty-six." Sam shook his head.

"H.H. Holmes himself. Come on, I mean what are the odds?"

"Who is this guy?" asked Jo.

"The term multi-murderer, they coined it to describe Holmes," clarified Dean. "He was America's first serial killer, before anyone even knew what a serial killer was."

"Yeah," Sam cut in. "He confessed to twenty-seven murders, but some put the death toll at over one hundred."

"His victim flavor of choice was pretty, petite blondes." Adiana ran her fingers through her hair, almost without thinking. But she wasn't short enough to be considered petite. Jo though… "He used chloroform to kill them… which is what I smelled in the hallway last night." He looked up at Jo, then back at the computer screen. "At his place, the cops found human remains including bone fragments and long locks of bloody blonde hair. Boy, you sure know how to pick 'em."

"But we just find the bones, salt them, and burn them, right?" confirmed Jo apprehensively.

"Well, it's not that easy," corrected Sam, "His body is buried in town, but it's encased in a couple tons of concrete." Adiana picked up another article, detailing that particularly nasty death of one Elisa Hemmingway.

"What? Why?"

"Story goes," voiced Dean, "That he didn't want anyone mutilating his corpse because that's what he used to do."

"You know something," Sam began rifling through the papers on the desk, "We might have an even bigger problem than that." Jo looked at him skeptically.

"How does this get bigger?"

"Holmes built this apartment in Chicago. They called it the Murder Castle." Remembering the article, Adiana picked it up and handed it to Sam. "Thanks. The whole place was a death trap. They had trapdoors, acid pits. He had these secret chambers in the walls. He'd lock his victims in for days. Some he'd let suffocate. Others starved to death."

"So Theresa could still be alive? She could be inside these walls."

"We need sledgehammers and crowbars. We need to smash these walls anywhere it's thick enough to hide a girl," decided Dean. "We'll get that out of the car." Sam, Dean, Adiana and Jo hurried downstairs and out the front door.

Night had already fallen. The dim glow from the streetlights lit up the street. Dean unlocked the trunk of the Impala. He handed a crowbar to Adiana and Jo and pulled out two sledgehammers for Sam and himself. He then pulled out four flashlights, handing one to each of them. Once inside, Dean laid out the plan. "Jo and I will take the second floor. You two take the first. Call Jo when you're done." Sam and Adiana nodded. Jo and Dean rushed up the stairs. Sam and Adiana turned down the hallway. They crept past the office where Ed was asleep in his chair and stopped at a closet. Sam jiggled the doorknob. The closet was locked.

"Here." Adiana pulled a bobby pin out of her hair. She stuck it in the lock and moved it around. After a few seconds, the lock clicked and Adiana pulled the door open. "Thank you freshman year roommate." Once inside, Adiana switched on the light, and Sam closed the door. The closet was filled with cleaning materials. Sam moved aside a couple mops and tapped on the wall.

"Hollow." Sam handed Adiana his flashlight. "Stand back." Adiana backed against the opposite wall. With any luck, Ed was a very heavy sleeper. Sam swung the sledgehammer. It hit the wall, splintering the wood. He swung again and a small hole formed. Adiana stared silently as the hole in the wall became bigger and bigger until with a mighty _CRACK_ a huge chunk of wood fell away leaving a gigantic hole in the wall. Sam wiped the sweat off his forehead with his sleeve. Adiana approach the hole.

"Damn," she muttered. "That was awesome. I could never do that without a cast, forget with one." She put down their flashlights on a shelf and used her crowbar to yank some large, sharp pieces of wood out of the way. After they fell, she peered around the corner and into the darkness. "Humans one, wall zero." Adiana gave Sam a small smile which he returned.

"Let's go." Adiana handed him his flashlight back and turned on her own. She stepped into the wall behind him, their flashlight beams cutting through the darkness. They began a careful trek through the space between the walls avoiding pipes and large spider webs. It was eerie, hearing the muffled noises from apartments as they passed by. Adiana ducked under a particularly large cobweb that had almost hit her in the face. She felt badly for Sam who was taller and having a much harder time navigating the small space. At one point, Adiana felt something brush her leg and let out a small shriek. Sam whipped around, his flashlight pointing to Adiana. She looked down and Sam's flashlight followed. A small rat skittered away into the darkness. Adiana let out a sigh of relief.

"Sorry." She shook herself slightly. "We should tell Ed he has a rat problem." They pushed onward finding nothing of particular interest and finally they had to turn around. "You sure they're here?"

"Where else would they be?"

"I don't know." Adiana nimbly jumped over a pipe. She could see a dim light ahead. They were nearing the closet. Sam pulled out his cell and dialed Jo.

"We're nearly done down here."

"Alright, meet you at the apartment," crackled Jo's voice on the other line. Sam clicked the cell off and shoved it back in his pocket. Adiana followed Sam out of the wall back into the closet. They walked out, Sam carefully locking the door behind them before they went up to the apartment. As they were almost there, Dean came barreling down the hall, knocking into Sam. He stopped only for a moment.

"It's got Jo," he managed to get out before he kept walking. Adiana and Sam hastened alongside him.

"What? How'd that happen?" asked Sam.

"I wasn't with her. I left her alone. Damn it!"

"Hey, hey we'll find her, alright?"

"Where?"

"Inside the walls."

"We've been inside the walls all night. None of the other girls are there. She won't be either."

"He's got a point, Sam," noted Adiana. Dean shoved open the apartment door. Adiana hurried to the bathroom. She had had to go all night. While inside, Adiana could hear Dean's conversation with Ellen. She was really angry, Adiana could tell from Dean's tone of voice. Adiana ran her hands under the sink, rinsing off soap and dust and god knew what else from her journey through the walls. She glanced at her reflection in the mirror. She looked tired and very dirty. Awesome.

_Crack!_ What was that? Adiana froze, staring at her widening eyes in the mirror. Slowly, she looked up to the ceiling. A thin crack had appeared. It continued to spread across the ceiling and down the wall. Adiana followed its path to the vent in the wall, slowly backing up towards the door. Ectoplasm was oozing out of the vent, in large black streams. Adiana reached behind her for the doorknob. The ectoplasm flowed toward Adiana. She grabbed the handle tried frantically to open the door. The lock was jammed or something was keeping the door closed. From the other side, Adiana could hear the boys calling her name. A grubby, twisted hand came out of the vent. Adiana screamed. The ectoplasm pooled around Adiana's feet. She tried to step further back against the door and slid in the ectoplasm, a streak of white appearing momentarily in the black ooze. She fell forward, her head slamming against the floor. For a moment Adiana's vision blurred and then she blacked-out.


	8. No Exit Part III

**For my reviewers: wcfan, Rae Artemis, Alyssa43, Nelle07.**

Adiana opened her eyes. Her surroundings were hazy and her head throbbed. She tried to open her mouth to speak and nothing came out. Her throat was dry from the screaming. A steady beating sound filled Adiana's ears. It took her a few moments to realize it was her own heartbeat. Where was she? Adiana tried to see her surroundings but everything was fading in and out. Goosebumps formed on her bare arms. Her sweatshirt was gone. Of all the ghosts to be taken by, she got stuck with the perverted one.

A shadowy figure suddenly came into view. Adiana tried to scream but only a raspy moan passed her lips. The shadow said something, but Adiana couldn't hear over the insistent thumping in her ears. The shadow moved away. Adiana tried to sit up, but just lifting her head made her dizzy. She felt a knot of fear gather in her stomach. Oh God, Sam and Dean please find me.

Then, the figure was back. This was it. Adiana felt it press something to her lips. She could feel the liquid wash against her upper lip. Adiana knew she shouldn't drink it, but her body had a will of its own. Her mouth opened and thirstily gulped down the liquid. Water, it was just water. Slowly, the room came into focus and the thumping of her heart began to fade.

Sam knelt next to the bed concern darkening his features. He held an empty glass in his left hand. Adiana had never been happier to see him.

"How are you feeling?" asked Sam.

"All things considered, I'm okay," croaked Adiana.

"Do you want some more water?" Adiana nodded and Sam went to refill the glass. "Can you sit up?" Adiana pushed herself into a sitting position. Spots danced before her eyes, and she could feel herself about to fall back. "Easy." Sam put an arm behind Adiana to support her. He handed her the glass, and she quickly gulped down the water. She felt much steadier now, only a dull pain remained. She turned to see the bathroom door swinging crookedly, the lock splintered.

"Dean kicked the door open?" Sam nodded. A smile flitted across Adiana's face. Then she realized that Dean wasn't there. "Where is Dean?"

"Went to get you some aspirin and stuff." Adiana nodded.

"My sweatshirt?"

"It was covered in ectoplasm so it's in the sink. You've got ectoplasm soaking into your jeans too, but we didn't want to…" Sam looked embarrassed.

"Thank you," said Adiana, so that he didn't have to finish the sentence. "I'll do it myself then. Do you have extra pants I can borrow? I know they'll be big on me but I haven't got anything else."

"Actually, Dean was going to bring back some clothes from you too. I mean, if you're going to be staying with us, we figured it was about time you got some more clothes." Adiana pictured Dean searching through a rack of women's clothing looking completely confused, holding them up to himself as he tried to guess her size. She burst out laughing, which only made her head hurt more. The laughter resulted in a fit of coughing; so Sam quickly got up to get another glass of water. Adiana calmed down as she drank the water.

"Sorry. I just had this really funny mental picture of Dean shopping. Thank you really. I was getting so sick of wearing these, and they must be totally gross by now. But never mind that, have you got any idea where Jo is?" Adiana put the glass to her lips and mumbled, "Not that I wouldn't mind her being gone for a while, but now it's personal."

"What was that last bit?"

"Nothing." Adiana took another gulp of water, finishing of the glass.

"We think she's in the drain system."

"Kind of like in Skin, right?"

"Uhhh…"

"I mean, when the shape-shifter tied you and Dean up in the sewer. You know what, never mind." There was a clicking sound as a key was fit into the door, and it swung open. Dean walked in his hands full of bags.

"You're awake." Dean dropped the bags next to Adiana's bed. He walked back into the hall and came back with two more handfuls of bags, which he dropped next to the other bags before again going out into the hallway. He returned with one final handful of bags, closing the door behind him. He dropped the last of the them into the pile. Adiana regarded the massive amount of bags with astonishment.

"Did you buy the whole mall?" Adiana grinned to let him know she was just teasing before she began sifting through the bags. "Some of these stores aren't cheap." Adiana winced at the price tag of a shirt. Two hundred and ten dollars for one shirt! Dean shrugged.

"Well it's not like I'm really paying for it." Adiana pulled out a medium sized bag from the back of the pile. She stared at the bag and then in it. A pink tinge crept into her cheeks.

"You went into Victoria's Secret and bought me…" Adiana pulled a see-through black lace nightdress from out of the bag, "lingerie?" Sam's face turned nearly the same shade as Adiana's, and his hand twitched as if to hit his brother. Dean, however, was completely nonchalant and shrugged.

"You don't have any, do you?"

"No, but when am I going to… oh never mind. Thank you." She got up out of the bed, stepping carefully to the side of the bags. "And you too Sam. I would give you both hugs, but I'm still covered in ectoplasm. So if you wouldn't mind giving a girl some privacy, I am going to get dressed, and then we can go find Jo." Sam quickly made for the door with Dean ambling behind him.

"There's a bag with some aspirin and stuff, if you need it."

"'Kay, thanks." Adiana shut the door to the bedroom. Sam stood right outside surveying Dean with a mix of mild amusement and mortification.

"What?"

"You're unbelievable," said Sam. Dean shrugged.

"Hey if nothing else, at least I got something out of it." Dean pulled out two slips of paper with phone numbers scribbled on the front. Sam shook his head hopelessly.

"Why do you get these girls' numbers if you never call them?"

"Because…" Dean cast about for a good answer, but coming up blank he switched tactics. "You're just jealous because you never get any."

"That is stupid."

"But it's true."

"I could get a girl's number if I wanted."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Whatever you say Sammy."

"It's Sam."

"Alright, I'm ready," announced Adiana, walking out of the bedroom. She wore dark jeans and a green unzipped sweatshirt over a striped low cut shirt. She had applied a little makeup to her face, after all Dean had gotten her an entire bag, and brushed her hair. What she was most excited about though were the black leather boots Dean had gotten to replace her ectoplasm covered Converse. However, she had elected to put those on later, afraid she was going to ruin them in the sewers. "You did a good job Dean. Go women's clothing shopping often?"

"No, I just had a little help," replied Dean, tucking the numbers back into his pocket.

"Can I have your number?" Adiana's gaze turned to Sam in bewilderment.

"Excuse me?"

"Can I have your cell phone number?"

"Um, okay…." Adiana grabbed a sheet of paper and a pen on the table and wrote her number down. She torn the number off and handed it to Sam. Sam turned to Dean and triumphantly showed him the piece of paper.

"It doesn't count," remarked Dean.

"What do you mean, it doesn't count? Adiana's a girl-"

"Well spotted," muttered Adiana.

"- And this is her cell phone number."

"But you already knew she liked you."

"Okay!" interrupted Adiana, hoping to steer the conversation in a different direction, "Shouldn't we be looking for Jo?"

"She's right, Sam. Let's go." Dean headed for the door and Adiana followed quickly behind. Sam shoved the number into his pocket before hurrying to catch up.

* * *

The trio walked down the street, Sam swinging the metal detector from side to side. Adiana and Dean carried shovels in their hands. When they came upon an abandoned lot, the detector began to buzz. As they moved into the lot, the buzz grew louder until it became a steady loud whine. Sam stopped.

"Here." Adiana and Dean pushed their shovels into the dirt and began to dig. It didn't take too long before Dean's shovel hit something hard. They bent down and began to clear the dirt away. A metal door soon appeared out of the dirt. Sam and Dean each took a handle and pulled the door open. Dean handed a flashlight and rock-salt gun to Adiana and Sam. Adiana shifted the gun about in her hands. The weight was strange, and she handled it with extreme caution wondering if she'd really be able to hit anything without any practice.

Dean swung himself down into the shaft and began the descent. Adiana went next with Sam in the back. Upon reaching the bottom, they had to continue on their hands and knees. It was wet and the only light came from their flashlights. Adiana's hands were soon caked with mold and mud, and her knees felt sore from the continuous movement. Finally they came upon a large grate. Dean pushed it open and leapt through.

"Hey!" he yelled and pulled the trigger of his gun, sending rock-salt straight through Holmes' ghost. It quickly vanished.

"I'm here." Jo's voice drifted out of one of the compartments in the wall. Dean hurried to get her out. Sam began scanning the compartments for more victims, and Adiana figured she should do the same. She moved to the first compartment and almost instantly stepped back. Inside was a rotting corpse that was letting off a terrible odor like rotting meat. There was a loud clash of steel on steel as Dean broke the lock and Jo came out of her cell.

"Are you alright?" asked Dean.

"I've been better. Let's get out of here before he comes back."

"Not yet."

"What?"

"You remember when I said you being bait was a bad plan? Now it's kind of the only one we've got." There was another crash as Sam broke the lock on another compartment. He opened it up to help Theresa Ellis out.

"Adiana," said Dean. "You help her out of here." Adiana nodded and moved forward to help support Theresa.

"Come on," Adiana said gently, and Theresa followed her through the grate. Their trip back to the surface was silent. Adiana pulled herself out of the tunnel and helped pull Theresa up. Theresa stood still above the hole, staring down into the inky blackness. "Are you going to be okay?" Theresa looked up.

"I think so."

"Come on. I'll walk you back to your apartment."

* * *

By the time Adiana came back after chatting with Theresa, Jo and Sam were standing around the entrance to the dark dungeon.

"What are we waiting around for?" asked Adiana. Her answer came in the growl of a very large truck. Dean backed up a cement truck into the lot.

"For that," said Sam. "Woah!" Dean stopped the truck and leapt out. He and Sam lowered the slide above the hole. Jo's lips trembled on the verge of laughter.

"You ripped off a cement truck?"

"I'll give it back." Dean pulled a lever on the back of the truck and cement began to pour out and down into the hole. "Well, that ought to keep him down there until hell freezes over." Adiana, Jo, Sam and Dean all smiled.

* * *

A few hours later, none of them were smiling anymore. Adiana was sitting in the backseat of the Impala with Sam and Jo while Dean was up front with Ellen. An uncomfortable silence had fallen over them all. Ellen had been positively furious and had yelled at Dean for a good twenty minutes before they had left.

"Boy, you really weren't kidding about flying out were you?" said Dean to Ellen. She didn't even bother with a reply. "How about some music?" Dean flicked the radio on. Ellen quickly shut it off. Dean looked nervously to the back seat meeting three pairs of amused eyes. "This is going to be a long drive." And it was. A very long drive.

They drove all night, but no one slept, finally reaching the Roadhouse a little after dawn. When they all tramped inside, Dean decided to leap to Jo's defense.

"Ellen, this is all my fault. I shouldn't have lied to you, and I'm sorry. But Jo did good out there. Her father would have been proud."

"Don't you dare say that, not you," growled Ellen. Adiana frowned. What was that supposed to mean? "I need a moment alone with my daughter." Adiana, Dean and Sam left the Roadhouse and waited by the Impala. In a few minutes, Jo stormed out.

"That bad huh," said Dean walking up to her. "Hey, what happened? Talk to me." Dean put a hand on her shoulder, which she quickly pushed away.

"Get off of me!" Adiana's mouth could have touched the ground. Dean also looked very taken aback, but his features quickly hardened.

"Sorry, I'll see you around." He made as if to leave.

"Dean." He turned back. "Turns out my father had a partner on his last hunt. He usually went solo and this guy usually did too but I guess my father figured he could trust him. A mistake. This guy screwed up and got my dad killed."

"What does this have to do with-"

"It was your father, Dean."

"What?"

"Why do you think your Dad never came back, never talked about us? 'Cause he couldn't look my mom in the eye after that, that's why."

"Jo."

"Please, just get out of here. Go. Just leave." Jo walked away from him and out into the field. Any other time, Adiana would have been ecstatic to hear Jo say those words to Dean, but the pain on Dean's face wiped away any glimmer of joy. Dean turned on his heel and went slowly to the Impala.

"Dean." He stopped next to Adiana, but didn't look at her. "I'm sorry. I really am." And thinking of nothing better, Adiana wrapped Dean in a hug. She grabbed Sam and pulled him into the hug.

"Alright," said Dean after a moment, "Get off. I don't need a hug to make it all better."

"Yes you do."

"I'm serious."

"So am I."

"Really, I'm fine."

"I don't believe you."

"Sam, get her off me." Sam pulled himself out of the hug, but did nothing to help Dean. Dean looked helplessly over Adiana's shoulder. "Come on man, this isn't funny." Sam pulled out the slip of paper with Adiana's phone number and held it up.

"Think of this as payback," Sam said with a grin.


	9. Valentine's Day

**For my reviewers: Poaetpainter, Alyssa43, FireZombie, Lilmisshardygirl, BubbleGumEcstacy, St0pSmackinMe07, Razorbackgal0225, Nelle07, and Dragongrl58.**

Cars sped up and down the streets of Faust, Utah anxious to get home after a long day of work. A few people strayed down the sidewalks caught up in their own lives. A dog padded loyally next to its owner, barking a warning at those who came too close.

Adiana strolled down the street, her arms full of groceries. A satisfied smile clung to her lips as she turned into the parking lot of the Rangeway Motel. She stopped in front of room twenty-seven and set down the bags. Fishing through her pockets, she pulled out the key and unlocked the door. She picked the bags back up and entered the room, kicking the door shut behind her. Sam looked up from his laptop screen as the door slammed.

"Hey," greeted Adiana, placing the groceries on the table next to the small stove.

"Hey," Sam answered, shutting his laptop. Adiana dug a credit card out of her pocket and handed it to him.

"Thanks."

"You spent two hours perfecting forging the signature. I think you deserved it." He got up off the bed and eyed the groceries Adiana began pulling from the bag. "What's with all the food?"

"Well, your brother was complaining about fast food again last night." Adiana felt around the bottom of one of the bags for an onion.

"So?"

"So I've decided to make dinner." Adiana began searching through the other bag and pulled out the onion. "You two aren't allergic to anything, are you?"

"No."

"Good." Adiana pulled a skillet out of one of the cabinets. She placed it on a burner and turned the temperature to medium. She began rifling through the cabinets, searching for a cutting board.

"Anything I can help with?"

"Uh…" Nothing immediately came to mind. Then, Adiana heard the steady purr of the Impala parking in the front lot. "Actually, there is. Could you keep Dean preoccupied for about two hours? I want this to be a surprise."

"Well…"

"Please."

"Sure." The Impala's door slammed.

"Thanks. Now hurry." Sam hastened to the door and hurried out, nearly knocking Dean over.

"Woah, easy tiger. Where are you going?" Good question, where was he going?

"I, I uh…" Dean raised an eyebrow, waiting. "I think Adiana's in trouble."

"She's not back yet?"

"No." Dean glanced at his watch.

"It's been only two hours Sam. I'm sure she'll be back soon." Dean moved toward the door, but Sam put a hand out to stop him.

"I'm serious Dean. I think there's something wrong."

"Have you had a vision?"

"No, a phone call."

"A phone call?" asked Dean skeptically.

"About an hour ago, Adiana called. She said she left the library and thought she was being followed. She asked if we could pick her up. I said you were still out with the car and asked her how close her pursuer was. She said she lost sight of him." Sam paused. He hated having to lie to his brother, but he was sure he'd be forgiven once Dean found out why.

"And?"

"And… then the line went dead."

"Did you try calling her back?"

"I did. I got a message saying the line was out of service."

"So you didn't call me?"

"Well, I didn't think it was serious, but she didn't come back."

"Alright let's go." The brothers got into the Impala and Dean started her up.

"I suppose we should start by asking if anyone's seen her," said Sam.

"Yeah." Although Dean was trying to conceal it, Sam could tell he was worried. It freaked him out a little because Dean never showed when he was worried. "It's too bad we don't have a picture or something."

"I have a picture." Dean turned to him.

"What?"

"I have a picture on my cell. Hey watch the road!" Dean swerved right to avoid an oncoming Lexus.

"Why do you have a picture of her on your cell? What type of picture?"

"She gave me her number, remember? I asked her later if I could take her picture to go with it. Why do you care so much anyway?"

"I don't."

"Sure. If you ask me I think that you-"

"Shouldn't we be focusing on finding her?"

"Yeah, of course." Sam grinned

"What are you smiling about?"

"Nothing."

"Well, keep it that way." Dean pulled the Impala over and parked next to the sidewalk. The brothers stepped out into the street. "Ask around and meet me back here in an hour."

"Okay." Sam watched his brother walk up the street. Now what was he going to do for a whole hour? Then, he noticed the library up the street where Adiana had told Dean she was going earlier. There was bound to be a computer he could use, so he headed over.

* * *

The sun hovered over the horizon, threatening to sink down casting the town into darkness. There were very few people still out and about which wasn't surprising for a town of this size. Dean looked down at his watch. It was already almost six. Sam had been gone for an hour and a half. Dean took another anxious glance up the street to see Sam hurrying down it. He skidded to a halt.

"Sorry, lost track of time."

"Does that mean you found something?" Well, some new interesting websites, but knew that wasn't what his brother meant. Sam shook his head.

"You?"

"A man at the grocery store remember seeing her earlier today, but he couldn't really remember when."

"At least that's something."

"It's nothing, Sam. We've got nothing to go on. She could be anywhere with anyone or anything! Who knows what some sick freak is doing to her? We should have kept a closer eye on her! Why didn't-"

"Dean. Dean!"

"What?"

"You're shouting." Dean noticed a few people had stopped and were staring at him. He yanked open the door of the Impala and sat in the driver's seat, shifting in agitation. Sam smiled nervously at the people who were still watching them and got in on the other side.

"Dean. I'm sure she's fine." Dean said nothing, his eyes fixed on the wheel. Sam almost told him that she was safe back at the motel, but he'd find out soon enough anyway. Besides, he had promised Adiana. He glanced at his watch. It had been almost two hours, and that was close enough. "Maybe we should go back to the motel and, um, get some plans together." Silently, Dean turned the key in the ignition and the Impala pulled away. Sam eyed his brother apprehensively as they drove back. He should have thought of a better excuse.

After parking the Impala, Dean walked stonily to the motel room. He pulled out the key and turned it in the lock. He stepped inside and froze. The aroma of steak and spices wafted from the meal on the table. Adiana was pulling a pie out of the oven. When she heard the door open, she set it down on the counter and smiled.

"Adiana, what are you doing here?" Adiana's smile drooped slightly.

"What do you mean?"

"You were kidnapped. We-"

"Kidnapped?" Adiana burst out laughing. "Sam, I told you to distract Dean not scare him half to death."

"It was the only thing I could think of," said Sam, walking around Dean.

"Wait, you knew about this?" Sam nodded apologetically.

"It was Adiana's idea." Adiana tested the pie crust and decided it needed a few more minutes.

"I remembered you complaining about always eating fast food, so I thought I'd cook something." She put the pie back in the oven and shut the door. "I wanted it to be a surprise, so I got Sam to distract you. Although I thought he'd come up with a better excuse I must admit." Dean's face hardened, anger flaming in his eyes.

"I suppose you think this was funny. Well I got news for you, it's not. Didn't anyone ever tell you it's not nice to mess with other people's heads? Sam, I thought you knew better. You should have told me!" Sam had the look of a scolded puppy on his face.

"Dean, I-" But Dean had rounded on Adiana.

"And you!" Adiana's face had fallen, and she leaned back against the stove her hands twisting around the handle in distress. She hadn't meant to upset anyone, but whatever Dean had to say she would take it. Her trembling lips were pressed together, and she stared silently at the floor waiting for words that didn't come. Instead, she heard the door slam as Dean left. Adiana looked up to the door and to Sam who sighed.

"It's my fault," said Sam. "I'll talk to him."

"No, I'm the one who asked you to keep him away. I'll go." Adiana strode to the door, trying to regain her composure. "Just take out the pie in a few minutes so it doesn't burn." Sam nodded, and so Adiana went outside. Dean hadn't parked the Impala in the same place, so for a moment she thought he might have driven off. But no, there she was, parked in the left corner of the lot. Dean stood behind the trunk, his back to her. Adiana walked over, hesitating behind him. His shoulders where tensed, his head turned to the tree line. He must have heard her walk over but he made no move to look at her.

"Dean?" Nothing. She slowly walked around and stood directly in front of him, her face tilted up. His eyes gazed off, unmoving. She stood there silently, searching his face for any sign of acknowledgement but he gave her none. The longer she remained there, the worse she began to feel so at last she spoke. "Look, what we did was wrong, but you have to know that we weren't trying to upset you for fun or anything like that. If I had known what excuse Sam was going to give you, I would have told him not to do it. Not that it's his fault, it's mine. I just… I just wanted to surprise you because… because…" If Dean had chose to look at her at that moment he would have seen her blush ever so slightly. "Because it's Valentine's Day and I just thought... I'm sorry." She looked down and away. Just more silence. It would be best if she just went back inside. She'd said her piece. She turned to go but Dean caught her arms and held her there.

"Adiana." She turned to meet Dean's eyes. They weren't gazing off any longer, but looking down at her with an intensity that made her heart pound. She felt as if he was searching for something in the depths of her eyes, and she didn't know what. The feeling frightened her slightly, but at the same time she couldn't look away. She became suddenly aware of how little distance there was between them. They were almost pressed chest to chest, and she could have lifted up on her toes and pressed her mouth against his. That thought only made her heart beat faster, and she worried that he would be able to feel it in his hands that were keeping her firmly on the ground in front of him. Whatever Dean was looking for, he evidently found it because he let her go.

"We should get in before the food gets cold," said Dean, as if the last few minutes hadn't happened at all. Adiana stood in stunned silence before she pulled herself back together.

"Yeah." Dean brushed past her as Adiana tried to settle the bubbling knot that her stomach had become. What the hell had that been? He stopped at the door.

"Are you coming?" Adiana nodded.

* * *

_Adiana's mouth met Dean's in a passionate kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer, relishing the feel of his hard chest pressing against her. They pulled apart, gasping for breath and Adiana looked into Dean's eyes. She reeled back in shock. They were bright yellow. The Demon grabbed her wrists as Adiana struggled to get away._

"_Remember me?" Adiana knew that she had to wake up and wake up fast. "I was patient with you last time, but my patience wears thin. So tell me exactly how you came here." Adiana summoned all her courage and spat in his face. That was the wrong thing to do. The Demon twisted her wrists his fingers digging into the skin, and Adiana gasped in pain. The Demon leered at her. "If you don't tell I'll-"_

"_Hurt me all you want, you won't get a thing out of me." The Demon laughed._

"_Hurt you? Oh no, I need you. But perhaps Dean."_

"_Leave him alone."_

"_Oh, it's too late now. He's already involved."_

"_Involved in what? What do you need me for? Do I have psychic powers too?"_

"_No, I need you for… something else."_

"_What?" Loud music suddenly filled Adiana's head. What was that? The Demon looked around. _

"_We'll talk again."_

Adiana jolted upright in bed. Sam's cell was going off. That's what the music had been. He clicked on the light and picked up his cell.

"Hello?" Sam suddenly sat up straight. "When? Where?" Dean had woken up too and was watching Sam from a chair in the corner. "Yeah, thanks Ash." He clicked the cell phone shut.

"Well?" asked Dean.

"That was Ash. The Demon was just here." The brothers turned to Adiana who was staring down at her wrists.

"Adiana, what is it?" questioned Sam cautiously. Adiana looked up at him then held her wrists to the light. They were encircled with dark hand-shaped bruises

"It was him."


	10. The Usual Suspects Part I

**For my ever faithful reviewers: Razorbackgal0225, Plutobaby494, Alyssa43, Nelle07, St0pSmackinMe07.**

The country road was still. Not even a light breeze disturbed the trees. Night had fallen and the only sound was the steady hum of crickets. The moon, almost full, shone overhead casting shadows on the pavement. It was completely peaceful until…

_Vroooom._ A jet-black 1967 Chevrolet Impala came flying up the road. Pebbles flew in its wake as it hurtled around the bend. It sped past, disturbing the trees though they were not nearly as shaken up as the occupants of the car.

Adiana gingerly rubbed her wrists. They had puffed up slightly and the bruises had turned from blue to purple. Adiana wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. She hated the Demon and his cryptic messages. Sure it made for an interesting, suspenseful television show, but to Adiana this wasn't just a show any longer. Or was it? Maybe she was still lying on the couch back home. She quickly dismissed the thought. She looked from her wrists to the front seat. Sam was slumped over, asleep. Dean was driving, his whole being seemingly concentrating on the road. Slipping back into her thoughts, Adiana wondered if she would ever get home. Dean looked up into the mirror and saw Adiana staring at him. A thought suddenly occurred to Adiana that caught her off guard. She didn't want to go home. Not now because...

"Earth to Adiana," said Dean, from what sounded like a very long way away. Adiana jolted back to reality.

"What?"

"You were zoning. It was starting to freak me out."

"Oh, sorry." Adiana turned to the window. The Impala was once again quiet with the exception of the occasional snore from Sam. At one point he muttered something that sounded a lot like 'I need more hairspray' which for some reason struck Adiana as extraordinarily funny. She burst out laughing nearly causing Dean to swerve off the road and waking up Sam.

"What did I miss?" asked Sam, looking around dazedly. Adiana only managed to choke out 'hairspray' before erupting into another fit of laughter. Sam looked at Dean, who was shaking his head.

"What?"

"Dude, do us a favor, never talk in your sleep again." This only confused Sam more, but he shut his mouth in defeat.

A few minutes later, the last of the laughter had subsided. Adiana's sides felt as if they were splitting open. And all that laughing… It was because she was tired. She always got weird when she was tired. She put a hand to her side, massaging it gently.

"You all right?" asked Sam.

"Yeah, I just feel a little sick."

"Woah, don't puke on the upholstery. I'll pull over." The look on Dean's face was so frantic it was almost comical. Adiana repressed the urge to laugh again.

"Don't worry, Dean. I'm fine. Just keep driving."

"You're sure?" Dean eyed her disbelieveingly.

"Positive."

* * *

Dean finally pulled the Impala over in Denver, Colorado. It was late morning, and people were already hurrying along the streets. The brothers got out and Adiana followed suit, feeling slightly woozy from lack of sleep. She pulled the black leather jacket Dean had bought her down over her bruised wrists. She didn't want to raise any suspicion. Dean pulled an abandoned newspaper off a bench, before turning into a small café.

"I'll get the drinks," offered Sam. "Coffee?"

"Coffee sounds great," replied Adiana. Dean nodded, burying himself behind the newspaper. Sam left, and Adiana and Dean sat at a small metal table. Adiana glanced over the front of Dean's newspaper. The cover story was about a fire in a local apartment building. There was one casualty, a fireman. The source of the fire was not yet known, but arson was suspected. She was still reading the article, when Sam walked back to the table.

"Here you go." Sam set the coffees on the table and sat down.

"Thanks." Adiana picked up her coffee and took a sip.

"Anthony Giles," said Dean, handing the newspaper to Sam.

"Who's Anthony Giles?"

"He's a Baltimore lawyer working late in his office. Check it out." Adiana leaned over to get a better look at the article titled 'Man's Throat Slit Without A Trace.' Sam scanned the paper in his hands.

"His throat was slit, but the room was clean. Huh. No DNA, no prints," commented Sam.

"Keep reading. It gets better."

"Security cameras failed to capture footage of the assailant."

"So I'm thinking that someone tampered with the tapes…"

"Or it's an invisible killer." Dean smiled.

"My favorite kind. What d'ya think Scully? Should we check it out?"

"I'm not Scully. You're Scully." Sam threw the newspaper at Dean.

"No I'm Mulder. You're a red-headed woman." Adiana rolled her eyes.

"It's like working with children. Are we going or what?" She got up and headed for the Impala. The brothers followed behind, still throwing insults and not very clever ones. Once inside the Impala, Dean twisted around in his seat, eyes searching.

"Looking for something?" asked Adiana.

"My cell."

"Good job Dean," snorted Sam.

"Shut up and look for it."

"Hold on." Adiana pulled out her new cell phone. "I'll call it."

"No," said Dean, too quickly. "Uh… wouldn't want you to waste your minutes." Adiana raised an eyebrow.

"I'll cut back my nightly sessions of texting my millions of friends then." Adiana quickly punched in the numbers and hit call.

_'Cause the walls start shaking  
The earth was quaking  
My mind was aching  
And we were making it and you  
Shook me all night long  
Yeah you,_

_Shook me all – _

Dean pulled the cell out from under his seat and quickly shut it off. He shoved it in his pocket, glancing with annoyance at Sam who was shaking with suppressed laugher. Adiana put her own phone back in her jacket.

"Are you okay Sam?" He just nodded at Adiana, unable to open his mouth. "Okay. Well, I'm gonna go grab that newspaper, in case we need it." Adiana jumped out of the Impala, and Sam burst into laughter.

"Dude, what is so funny?" asked Dean. He didn't like the giant grin on Sam's face.

"Your ringtones are personalized, right?"

"Yeah so?"

"So you like her, don't you?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Come on man, I'm not stupid."

"No, you're paranoid. If you haven't noticed, I like to listen to AC/DC. Besides, it was the only ringtone I had left."

"Sure. You know, she still might have a thing for you."

"Whatever Sam."

"Then again she did say, what was it… I don't remember exactly. Something about wishing either one of us would ask her out. Better hurry up or I might get there first," Sam teased.

"Yeah, right." There was a pause, and then he continued. "You know what, go for it. I don't care."

"You don't care."

"Nope."

"Okay. Maybe I will. I think it's kind of cute the way her nose scrunches up when she's thinking."

"Her nose doesn't scrunch up when she's thinking."

"No?"

"No. She bites her lower lip and plays with her hair. Unless she's in the car, then she just presses her cheek against the window." He caught Sam's bemused expression. "What?"

"Yeah, you don't like her."

"Bite me, Sam." Adiana hopped back into the car with the newspaper.

"Okay, we can go now." Dean cast Sam a dirty look before starting up the Impala.

* * *

After seven consecutive hours of driving, they finally made it to Baltimore. The drive had been a tough one, as any long drive always was. Sam and Dean had argued for two hours about absolutely nothing giving Adiana a major headache. She had eventually exploded, yelling for them to stop acting like ten year olds. Once she had calmed down, Adiana felt horrible and apologized. Sam had assured her that it was fine and they shouldn't have been arguing anyway, to which Dean agreed though was apparently unable to resist adding that Sam was still wrong. At least they hadn't started fighting again. The Impala pulled to a halt next to a McDonald's.

"Wait here," Dean instructed. Adiana settled back in her seat, used to having to wait by now. Dean got a suitcase out of the trunk, and Sam followed Dean into the fast food joint. Adiana watched the door of the restaurant until she caught a flicker of movement past her window. She glanced up as a young couple passed by. The girl pulled ahead, running playfully. Her boyfriend ran up behind her, catching her around the waist. They both laughed as he swung her around only stopping when she leaned in to kiss him.

Adiana glanced away, feeling a stab of jealousy. It was stupid she knew to feel that way. But suppose she was with the Winchesters forever. Well, as long as any hunter lasted on the job. Maybe Dean didn't want a relationship. Maybe Sam didn't either, or maybe he would finally leave the life and find someone. But what about her? She couldn't leave them, and as long as she was with them she wasn't going to be able to think about anyone else much less find somebody else. And she supposed that she should come to terms with this now, so that it wouldn't hang over her. She sighed and pressed her face against the cool glass. But it wasn't going to be easy.

The front doors to the Impala clicked open, and the boys climbed in wearing suits. Yes, it definitely wasn't going to be easy. Adiana lifted her head off the glass and turned her thoughts instead on what they'd be doing for this case.

"What's it this time? Cops, FBI…"

"Insurance," said Dean.

"You're selling insurance?"

"No, we're doing a follow up on Anthony's death."

"And who are you going to talk to?"

"His wife, Karen," said Sam.

"And what am I supposed to do?"

"Wait in the car," said Dean. Adiana sighed. Of course that's what she would be doing.

"Fine. Sam, can I use your laptop while I'm waiting?"

"Sure."

* * *

Two hours later, they were speeding down the road on the way to Anthony's office.

"So wait, Anthony had a nightmare, and you think that the girl in his nightmare is the thing that killed him?" asked Adiana, setting Sam's laptop aside.

"Pretty much," said Dean.

"And now we're going to his office to…"

"Karen said he had computer trouble and had to stay late. We're trying to find out what kind of trouble exactly." Dean parked the Impala next to a large office building. The trio got out, flashlights in hand, and headed for the door. Sam pulled out a pin and quickly picked the lock. Once upstairs, they broke into Anthony's office just as easily. As soon as she stepped through the door, Adiana's flashlight lit up the carpet where Anthony's body was found. It was soaked in drying blood. She made a note to avoid that area.

"So what do you think? Vengeful spirit, underline vengeful?" questioned Dean.

"Yeah, maybe," responded Sam. "I mean he did see that woman at the edge of his bed." Adiana pulled herself away from the blood-soaked carpet and joined the brothers around the desk. Dean pulled a piece of paper to his flashlight.

"Look at this." He handed it to Sam.

"Danashulps. What's that? A name?"

"I don't know, but it's everywhere." Dean held up another paper with 'danashulps' written continuously. "Well, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."

Sam frowned down at the glass desk. Adiana and Dean watched him as he bent low and breathed heavily on it. 'Danashulps' appeared in the fog on the desk.

"Wow," said Sam. "I'd say we've officially crossed over into weird. Maybe it's the name of our pale red-eyed mystery girl."

"Well," said Dean, pulling out a binder, "Let's see what we can see." Sam turned on the computer and attempted to hack into the files. Adiana walked over to a file cabinet and pulled out a folder and then another folder… and then another…

* * *

"There's not a single mention of a Dana Shulps anywhere," groaned Dean, after a few hours. "There's no D. Shulps or any other kind of freakin' Shulps."

"Yeah, I got nothing either," said Adiana, slamming the fifth and final cabinet shut.

"Great," sighed Sam, his face illuminated by the computer screen.

"What d'ya got?" asked Dean.

"Nothin'. No Shulps has lived or died in Baltimore in the last fifty years at least."

"Great. So what do we do now?" Adiana leaned against the file cabinet, her eyes drooping. The boys' conversation was starting to run together. Unless they figured out something soon, Adiana knew she was going to fall asleep.

"Well, I'm pretty close to cracking Giles' password. Maybe there's something in his personal files, you know?"

"When you say close, you mean…" Sam shrugged.

"Thirty minutes maybe." Dean looked at his watch.

"Awesome." Dean flopped in the chair across the desk from Sam. "So I guess I just get to hang out. That's… awesome." He glanced, bored, around the room. Finding nothing of interest, he began making clicking sounds with teeth. Sam looked up for a moment then went back to his computer. As the noises intensified, Sam threw up his hands in frustration.

"Dude seriously!"

"Alright." Dean got out of the chair. "I'm going to talk to Karen again. See if she knows anything about this Dana Shulps."

"Great."

"Keep going Sparky. Adiana." Adiana was leaning over the cabinet with her face resting in her crossed arms.

"Hmmm?"

"You coming?"

"Mmmmmm…" Adiana opened one eye. "I suppose." She straightened up, her body protesting its sharp awakening. She followed Dean back to the car partially limping on her right foot, which had done what the rest of her body wanted and fallen asleep. She almost got into the back of the car but decided it was a chance to get out of that seat, and so she got in the front instead. As the Impala drove around the corner, Adiana watched the apartment disappear.

"What makes you so sure 'danashulps' is a person's name?" asked Adiana.

"What?"

"Why assume it's a person's name?"

"What else would it be?"

"I don't know. A code word or something." To that, Dean said nothing and they drove on in silence. The buildings began thinning out until they were out of the city. Only about another fifteen minutes, and they were parked outside of the house. They made their way up the front steps to the door and Dean knocked.

"Karen, you in there?" There was no answer. Dean looked over his shoulder before pulling out a knife and carefully picking the lock. "Stay behind me." Adiana nodded, and they quietly entered. Dean flicked the light switch, but the light didn't turn on. A trickle of unease crept down Adiana's spine. She followed close behind Dean as he ascended the stairs. He carefully pushed one of the doors open and slipped inside the room. As she glanced around him, Adiana's hand flew to her mouth and her stomach lurched. Karen lay on the floor in a pool of her own blood, her throat slit.

"Oh god," murmured Dean, his lip curling in disgust. He pulled a sheet of paper off of the printer. Adiana turned her focus on it, her head still spinning, to see 'danashulps' printed over and over. "Seriously. What the hell?" Dean knelt down next to Karen. He picked up one of her hands, noting the bruises that covered her wrists. Adiana watched quietly from the corner, trying not to be sick.

"Freeze." Adiana almost screamed. Three cops had suddenly appeared in the doorway. Two were pointing their guns at Dean and one was pointed at her. "Hands where I can see 'em. Now!" Dean and Adiana put up their hands. "Cuff 'em." Adiana gritted her teeth as the handcuffs bit into her bruises. The police dragged Adiana and Dean out of the house, one cop reading them their rights. As Adiana was shoved into the back of the cop car, she knew that they were going to be in a lot of trouble.


	11. The Usual Suspects Part II

**For my amazing reviewers (there are so many of you!): PhoenixMa'at, St0pSmackinMe07, DeanWinchesterLover, maddie miguel, BubbleGumEcstacy, LoneTread, wcfan, Alyssa43, Plutobaby494, gazuni, Razorbackgal0225, Nelle07, danceswpenguins9, Heavens Demise, Angela, Northern Ranger, lemonwedges4, Vobi. **

Adiana nervously drummed her fingers on the table. The room she was in was small and rather chilly with drab brick walls. Not that she would expect much more from a small town police station. It was a lot like the room Sam was in, although Adiana did not know this at the time. All she knew was that she had been waiting in this room for over three hours and it was becoming rather tedious and making her more and more nervous all the time.

She had come to counting the cracks in the ceiling when the door swung open. A cop swung into the room. She was tough middle aged woman with a posture that said she was used to having to live in a men's world. She gave Adiana a strained smile, apparently frustrated about something but trying to conceal it. It might have worked but the smile didn't quite meet her eyes.

"Hello Adiana, I'm Detective Diana Ballard." She paused, but Adiana said nothing and she continued. "You were found at the scene of the crime, correct?" Again Adiana didn't speak. "But there wasn't any blood on your hands and your prints weren't anywhere, which leads me to wonder how you were involved." Adiana shifted her eyes to the wall, her lips pressed together determinedly. "So you're the quiet type, huh? Well then, I won't waste my time." Diana stood up, reaching for the door.

"What are you charging us with?"

"Excuse me?" Diana turned around, meeting Adiana's gaze.

"I want to know what you're charging us with?"

"Well, we don't have anything for you yet. The Winchester boys have quite a list, but the most pressing is for Dean."

"And that is…?"

"First-degree murder."

"On what evidence?"

"The house was broken into. We got a phone call from a terrified Karen Giles. You and Dean were found at the crime scene, Dean with blood on his hands."

"He didn't do it."

"Give me one good reason why I should believe you."

"Because it's the truth." It was a terrible reason, but it was all she had. This was bad, and she knew it was bad. She wasn't ready for this. She needed more law classes.

"Dean's already wanted for murder. It doesn't surprise me in the least that he would commit another. But you, well, you're a bit of a mystery. Your name doesn't show up anywhere. No Adiana Delora Garrow has ever lived or died in the United States. Yet, here you are sitting in front of me. So is there anything you want to tell me?" Adiana kept her mouth shut. At this point, it was better to just not say anything. She anxiously twisted her hands together. "Where'd you get those bruises?" Adiana realized her mistake immediately. By twisting her hands, she had pushed the sleeves of the jacket up past her wrists. She quickly pulled the sleeves down.

"I... caught my hands in a cabinet. Just shut on me."

"Really? Because it looked to me like someone grabbed you around the wrists. Adiana," Diana moved around the table, next to Adiana, "did they hurt you?"

"What?"

"Did either of the Winchesters hurt you? Did they do this to you?"

"No. Why would they?"

"Adiana, you don't have to be afraid of them anymore. You can tell me."

"No, they didn't do anything. They're good people."

"Adiana, I'm trying to help you, but—" She was interrupted when a tall dark-haired cop walked in. His face was cold, and Adiana disliked him immediately. There was something… off about the blankness in his eyes.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but I was wondering if you found anything helpful?" asked the male cop.

"Well, you remember the girls in St. Louis?" St. Louis, St. Louis. Adiana tried to remember what episode had taken place in St. Louis.

"Yes." Wait a minute, wasn't that where Skin took place? But surely they didn't think –

"I think we may have the beginnings of another one." Before Adiana could protest, Diana gripped her right arm and pulled up the sleeve to reveal the bruises. "What do you think, Peter?"

"I think they look a bit like hand prints, don't you? We should see if they match up." Before Adiana could yank her hand away, Detective Peter Sheridan gripped her firmly around the upper arm and pulled her up. He steered her quickly out the door, Diana following behind. Adiana struggled in his hands.

"Hey! Let me go! You have no right to do this! I want a lawyer!" Peter dragged Adiana into a large glass room. Dean sat in the center handcuffed to the table. He threw Adiana a questioning glance before smirking at Peter.

"Miss me already?" asked Dean sarcastically. Peter chose to ignore the remark.

"Hold out your hand." Adiana caught Dean's gaze. She shook her head slightly.

"I'd rather not, if that's okay with you, Sheri." Peter froze for a moment, and Adiana thought that he might have reconsidered. This wasn't legal after all. She should have known better. Peter lurched forward, grabbing Dean's hand and twisting it around Adiana's right wrist. Of course, it covered the bruise right up. Peter smiled.

"That's just what I thought. Well, Mr. Winchester, it looks like you've got another case of assault and battery on your hands. Ms. Garrow, if you'll step outside."

"No. Dean didn't do this. He never hurt anyone."

"Ms. Garrow, please." Peter tried to pull Adiana to the door, but she resisted.

"He didn't kill Karen."

"Ms. Garrow, I can understand why you're upset, but –"

"I killed her."

"He – what?" Adiana and Dean locked eyes. She could see that he wanted her to take it back, but she wouldn't. She didn't want Dean to end up on death row, not when there wasn't anything on a record for her.

"I killed Karen Giles." Peter was completely taken aback.

"But… the blood, the bruises."

"Dean tried to stop me. I resisted. That's where the bruises came from. He tried to save her, but it was too late." The smirk had slid off Dean's face. Adiana looked at him, afraid if she looked anywhere else she'd lose her nerve. "Now Karen's dead, and it's my fault."

"Alright, come on." Diana came out of the corner and took Adiana by the upper arm. As they walked out of the room, Peter stood still, eyeing Dean thoughtfully. Dean watched Adiana until she was out of view before meeting his stare.

"I don't believe her for one minute," stated Peter.

"Why am I not surprised?"

"Now I don't know what you've got over her, but I'm gonna find out."

"And if you don't find anything?" Peter leaned over the table so his face was nearly touching Dean's.

"Then, I guess you've just screwed Ms. Garrow over." He pulled back and headed for the door.

"Hey, Sherlock." Peter turned, giving Dean a contemptuous look over. "What's the sentence for her if you all find her guilty?" Peter gave him a nasty smile.

"Death by lethal injection." The door clicked loudly as Peter shut it behind him. Dean watched him leave, something nagging at the back of his mind. It was something he usually tried to suppress. What the hell was this feeling? And suddenly, it struck him. It was fear. About Peter? No. Her face gazed up at him, eyes wide as they had been that night in the parking lot. How much wider would they get when she was strapped to that chair?

"No." The handcuffs bit into Dean's wrists as he slammed his hands against the table. He took a deep breath and ran a hand over his face. Nothing was going to happen to Adiana. He wouldn't let it.


	12. The Usual Suspects Part III

**For my reviewers (whom I adore): Heavens Demise, Nelle07, Angela, BubbleGumEcstasy, St0pSmackinMe07, Plutobaby494, lemonwedges4, Dragongrl58, naleysocute23, duke chick, Razorbackgal0225.**

"Mr. Winchester?" Dean looked up. A man holding a briefcase had entered the room. He had grey hair going white, and was slightly overweight. His watery eyes regarded Dean through large glasses that were perched on the end of his nose. A large smile was pasted on his face. Now what?

"Yeah?"

"I'm Jeff Krauss. I'm with the public defender's office. I'm your lawyer."

"Oh. Thank God. I'm saved." Jeff sat in a large chair near Dean's. He chose to ignore the sarcastic remark. "Hey, can I steal a pen from you? Some paper?"

"Sure." Jeff pulled a pen from his pocket. He dug around in his briefcase before pulling out a large notepad with lined yellow paper. He passed the items to Dean. "Well, the police haven't found a weapon yet, so that's good. But they've got your prints and, literally, blood on your hands." Jeff shuffled through a folder in his briefcase. "And with your police record, uh…." He noticed Dean scribbling determinedly on the paper. "Mr. Winchester? What are you doing?"

"I think it's an anagram."

"A what?" Dean had been trying to figure out the case, hoping to think of something that would help him get out of here when something Adiana had said early came back to him. Why assume it's a person's name?

"An anagram – same letters, different words. Could you do me a favor? Look this over and see if you recognize any of these words. You know, local names, places, anything like that." Dean flicked the notepad toward Jeff, who looked at him worriedly.

"Do you understand how serious these charges are?" Dean jerked up the wrist that was attached to the table.

"I'm handcuffed to a table. I get it. Just humor me. Take a quick look." Jeff sighed and pulled over the notepad. He adjusted his glasses and scrutinized the list. At the top was written 'DANA SHULPS'. Under that, the letters had been rearranged several times.

"Well, S-U-P, I don't know about that, but ASHLAND is a street name. Not far from here."

"Street?" Dean pulled back the notepad and began writing.

"Uh huh." Jeff paused for a moment, watching Dean write. Then, he once again began to rifle through papers in his briefcase. "Let's start with where you were the night Anthony Giles died."

"Can you get in to see my brother?" Dean tore a page from the notepad and folded it.

"Mr. Winchester," Jeff said with exasperation, "you could be facing the death penalty here."

"Yeah, thanks for the law review, Matlock, but if you want to help me I need you to see my brother." Dean held out the note. Jeff eyed it, deciding whether or not he should take it.

"All right." Jeff took the note and shut his briefcase. He stood up and was almost out the door when Dean stopped him.

"Wait." Jeff turned around resignedly.

"Yes, Mr. Winchester?"

"Could I see Adiana? I need to talk to her."

"I'm afraid that's impossible."

"What d'ya mean?"

"No detective in their right mind will allow the accused to speak with anyone, especially someone in your position."

"Come on, man. It's kinda important."

"Would anything she said help your case?"

"Yup, but it'd have to be without any adult supervision. We're big kids now. We'll play nice." Jeff was almost positive that neither Detective Sheridan nor Detective Ballard would go for it, but it was his duty to help a client in any way possible.

"I'll see what I can do." Jeff walked out quickly before Dean could ask any more favors. Dean was sure the note would reach Sam, but whether or not he'd get to see Adiana…. Well, he had to try.

* * *

"Absolutely not." Jeff stood in front of Peter Sheridan and Diana Ballard, trying not to look embarrassed. He had expected this reaction. Peter was not the softhearted type. Diana was his only hope, and he hadn't been able to get her on her own.

"Detective Ballard?"

"I don't know if that would be the best thing…." She trailed off, remembering the look in Adiana's eyes when she confessed to murdering Karen. Diana didn't believe it, not for a minute, but she knew that Adiana's motives weren't selfish. It was plain to see that Dean meant a lot to her, and now might be their only chance to see each other. And Dean had asked after her after all. Who knew, maybe there was something there. Diana glanced at Peter, understanding completely how Adiana felt. Diana knew she shouldn't let her emotions get in the way, but she felt she had to do something. "Can I talk to Detective Sheridan alone for a moment?" Jeff nodded and left the room. Peter gazed at Diana.

"You're not thinking of –"

"Maybe we should, Peter."

"Diana, Dean slaughtered my friend and his wife, and Adiana could be in on it. Leave two murderers alone to conspire together? It's insane."

"I know, but Peter, I understand how they must feel."

"What? What are you talking about?"

"You can't see it?"

"See what?"

"She's in love with him, and maybe he loves her too."

"Excuse me?"

"You don't really think Adiana had anything to do with the murders, do you?"

"Well, no, but I could be wrong –"

"Adiana confessed to the murders not because she committed them, but because she wanted to save Dean."

"Even if that's true, I don't think that they should be allowed together alone."

"If it was us under arrest, wouldn't you want to see me?" Peter open and closed his mouth, taken aback.

"Yes, but –"

"Then please allow this. Peter, for me?" Diana ran her hand over Peter's suit lapel as they gazed into each other's eyes. Peter sighed.

"All right. They have ten minutes."

"Thank you." Diana kissed him and went to find Jeff. Peter's eyes followed her out the door, wondering if this was a smart decision.

* * *

Adiana was back in the room she had started in. She stared up at the ceiling, her nails tapping on the table. She had confessed to a murder she didn't commit. It had been a spontaneous reaction. The only thing that had been running through her head was that she needed to save Dean. Stupid really. It hadn't helped his case any. He could still be charged for the other murders. The cops didn't believe her, and they were charging them both now.

The door swung open, and Diana entered. Adiana gazed at her balefully, wondering if she had brought a lawyer. Probably not a good one, not for a defense lawyer. There didn't seem to be anyone behind her, but the angle wasn't great.

"Adiana, I'd like you to come with me." Adiana thought of asking where, but it didn't really matter. She'd just have to take things as they came at her. She stood up and followed Diana. Her handcuffs clinked as she walked. Her wrists under the handcuffs had gone numb, and the bruises were turning a sickly yellow around the edges. The two women passed through the bustle of the office. Adiana barely noticed the noise around her. She was growing steadily more tired. Maybe they'd put her in a cell. At least then she could sleep.

Finally, they stopped at a door Adiana recognized. It was the door to the room where they were holding Dean. But why was she here? Were they going to be questioned together? Adiana had never heard of that before. Usually the point was to get people to turn on each other, not form a stronger alliance. Diana knocked before entering.

"You have ten minutes." Diana left, shutting the door behind her. Adiana moved to the chair where Jeff had been sitting earlier. She pulled it over, right next to Dean, and flopped down. They sat in silence for a moment. Adiana stared at their reflections in the glass wall, wondering who was on the other side.

"How are you holding up?" asked Dean.

"All things considered, pretty good," replied Adiana. "You?"

"Just peachy. Your wrists?" Adiana held up her wrists.

"They've kind of gone numb by now. Better than hurting."

"You should have them looked at." Adiana shrugged. There was another pause and then she glanced over at him.

"Something tells me they didn't just decide to put us here together."

"No."

"Well…?"

"I want you to take back what you said." Adiana laughed hollowly. It echoed eerily in the room.

"About the murders? That's not the kind of thing you can take back."

"They know you didn't do it. Just take it back, and I'll confess to everything."

"I don't think so. I'm not leaving you here."

"Sammy will bail me out."

"How?" Dean shrugged a shoulder.

"I don't know. He'll think of something."

"I won't do it."

"Look, if this is some funny chick thing –"

"Okay, this is not a 'funny chick thing'. I'm just not gonna let you take the fall for this."

"Well, we are both going to end up in jail or worse if you don't take it back." Adiana tried to cross her arms but found she couldn't with the handcuffs. She just slumped down slightly in her chair instead.

"No."

"Adiana."

"No! I won't!"

"Come on."

"No!"

"Why do you get yourself into these things?"

"Because!"

"Because why?"

"Just because!"

"Adiana, tell me, or I swear I'll – "

"Because I love you, you jerk!" She leaned up suddenly and kissed him. It was desperate and angry and sad and confused and everything that he made her feel all tangled up in one quick gesture. Adiana didn't know who was more surprised, her or Dean. And in this one moment she didn't care, all she cared about was that Dean's lips were pressing back against hers.

There was a knock on the door, and Dean and Adiana broke apart. Adiana's head was reeling and her breath came in short, sharp bursts. The door opened and Peter walked in. Adiana wasn't sure if she was imagining it, but she thought that there was a slight pink tinge in Peter's cheeks. Had he seen them? Peter cleared his throat.

"Your ten minutes are up."

"Well, time sure flies when you're having fun." Dean was back to his sarcastic self again, as if nothing had happened at all. Diana filed into the room behind Peter.

"Come with me please, Miss Garrow." Adiana stood up reluctantly. She gave Dean a long look before turning to follow Diana. When she was almost out the door, Dean spoke.

"Detective, I'd like to make a confession." Adiana froze and whirled around. Peter was almost as shocked.

"Really?"

"Scout's honor."

"No." Adiana took a step forward. "Dean, don't."

"Come on." Diana put a hand on Adiana's shoulder.

"Dean, don't you dare!" Diana was trying to drag Adiana out of the room. Dean didn't even glance in their direction. His eyes were fixed on Peter.

"It'll be on record," said Peter.

Dean shrugged. "Fine with me."

"Dean!" But another cop had entered the room, and he helped drag Adiana out. Adiana watched with horror as the room disappeared from her view.

* * *

Adiana sat at the table with her head in her hands, trying not to cry. Why did he have to do it? Why—

_Plink!_ Adiana's head snapped up. What the hell was that? _Plink!_ It was coming from behind her. Adiana turned. _Plink!_ She saw a small rock hit the glass window. Adiana got up and went to the window. She blinked in surprise at the sight of Sam down on the sidewalk below. She pushed the latch and the window opened.

"How'd you get out?" she called.

"Climbed. Come on. Jump. I'll catch you."

"Do I look suicidal to you? Besides, I'm not leaving Dean."

"Well, you're not gonna be much help locked up in there." Adiana opened her mouth to argue, but snapped it shut. She knew he was right.

"Okay, just give me a sec." Adiana cast about the room for something to write with. She found a sheet of paper and a pen on top of one of the file cabinets. Flexing her numb fingers, Adiana wrote a quick note to Dean.

**Clyde,**

**I'll be back for you. Gone with S.**

**-Bonnie**

Adiana left it on the table and went back to the window. She poked her head out and looked at the pavement. It was a long way down. Sam had moved right beneath her window.

"I'll catch you." Adiana took a deep breath. She pulled up her legs and sat on the window ledge. Her stomach twisted unpleasantly. She bit her lip, glancing nervously downward. Sam held out his hands.

"Look, we might not have that much time."

"All right, all right." Adiana closed her eyes and pushed off. For a second, she felt oddly weightless. Then, the air whooshed up around her and she began to fall. Adiana had to press her lips together to keep from screaming. What if Sam didn't catch her? What if— she landed in Sam's arms. He staggered slightly but managed to keep hold. Adiana opened her eyes. She had made it. Sam put her down lightly. She swayed unsteadily on her feet, still feeling a sense of vertigo, but managed to steady herself.

"I don't suppose you could…?" Adiana held up the handcuffs. Sam glanced at them and shook his head.

"Later. Now, we have to get out of the area. Come on." He hurried quickly down the sidewalk. Adiana ran right behind him. She looked back only once. They'd get Dean out. She was sure of it.


	13. The Usual Suspects Part IV

**For my reviewers:Heavens Demise, Plutobaby494, maddie miguel, EzraDuke, Caroline Ackles, naleysocute23, Artemisdesari, Ashley, BubbleBumEcstacy, Dragongrl58, Razorbackgal0225, Angela.**

Cameras clicked and flashed outside of the interrogation room. Reporters scribbled down notes on small notepads clutched in sweaty fingers. A large video camera was being set up in front of a table in the room. Dean sat, eyeing the camera distastefully. He was no longer handcuffed to the table. Peter watched him detachedly from across the room. The door swung open as Diana and Jeff entered the room.

"Counselor," said Peter, "Your boy's decided to confess." Jeff gave Dean a worried glance.

"Mr. Winchester, I'd advise against that strongly." Dean didn't answer, staring rather at his hands.

"Look directly into the camera," instructed Peter, "And state your name, for the record." Dean pressed his hands flat against the table and looked up.

"Sure." Peter hit the record button on the camera. Dean put on a wide grin. "My name's Dean Winchester. I'm an Aquarius. I enjoy sunsets, long walks on the beach and frisky women. I did not kill anyone. But I know who did, or rather, what did. Of course, I can't say for sure 'cause our investigation was interrupted." Dean threw a scathing glance at Peter, who was now glaring in restrained fury and disbelief. "But our working theory is that we're looking for some kind of vengeful spirit." There was a shocked pause. Even the photographers had stopped peering through the camera lenses and dropped their cameras by their sides. Diana wondered if she had heard correctly.

"Excuse me?" Dean turned his attention to her.

"You know, Casper the blood-thirsty ghost? Tony Giles saw it. I'll bet you cash money Karen did too. But see the interesting thing is the word it leaves behind. For some reason it's trying to tell us something. But communicating across the veil, it ain't easy. Sometimes the spirits, they get things jumbled. You remember 'redrum'? Same concept. It could be word fragments… other times, it's an anagram." Dean pulled a paper out of his pocket and held it up to the camera. It was the piece of paper on which he had written 'DANA SHULPS' in several different variations. Diana sucked in a breath when she glimpsed the phrase on the paper. It was the same one she had seen on her computer earlier. "See, first we thought this was a name, Dana Shulps. But now, we think it's a street, Ashland. Whatever's going on, I'm betting it started there." Dean smiled apparently finished with his speech.

"You arrogant bastard," hissed Peter. "Tony and Karen were good people, and you're making jokes."

"I'm not joking, Ponch."

"You murdered them in cold blood just like that girl in St. Louis!" Peter walked around the table, trying to suppress his mounting rage.

"Oh yeah." Dean turned back to the camera and smiled again. "That wasn't me. That was a shapeshifter creature that only looked like me." For a moment, Peter halted, mouth agape. Then he yanked Dean out of the chair and threw him forcefully against a wall. Dean managed to turn his head just in time to save himself from going straight into the hard tile. Peter held him in an iron grip, hands behind his back.

"That's enough!" instructed Diana worriedly.

"You asked for the truth," muttered Dean. Peter almost slammed him again but decided against it. He let Dean go and headed for the door.

"Lock him up," growled Peter, before leaving. "And make sure that his girlfriend can't get to him."

* * *

"Adiana. Adiana." Sam's voice sounded very far away.

"Hmm?"

"You gotta get up."

"Mmmm…"

"Adiana, we have to go."

Adiana sighed and opened her eyes. Sitting up on the bed, she blinked while her eyes adjusted to the light. "What time is it?"

"One." Adiana groaned.

"What did you get me up at one a.m. for?"

"I needed help." Adiana stared as Diana stepped into view. "I've seen Claire."

"Who?"

"The ghost that's been showing up," explained Sam quickly. "Her name's Claire Becker. She was busted once for dealing heroin. She disappeared eight or nine months ago."

"So where's her body?"

"Well, our best guess is Ashland Street."

"Ashland Street?"

"The name 'DANA SHULPS' was actually an anagram. Dean sent me a note saying it stood for a street."

"Is it far away?"

"About a half hour."

"Then, let's go." Sam, Adiana and Diana left the motel room as quickly as they could. Parked outside was a small dark green Lexus. Diana pulled out her keys and the locks clicked open. Adiana slid into the back with Sam and Diana in the front. The car started and pulled out of the parking lot.

* * *

They pulled to a halt in front of an old run-down building. Shutters hung off dirty windows and a torn curtain fluttered in the light breeze. There was a hole in the roof where the woodwork had collapsed in. Adiana stared up at the building as she got out of the car.

"B-e-a-utiful."

"You got a shovel and some flashlights?" Sam asked Diana. Diana stared at Sam for a moment before opening the trunk of her car.

"You're lucky that I'm prepared for everything. I only have two flashlights, though."

"Adiana can just stay with me," assured Sam, taking a flashlight and the shovel from Diana. They trudged up the steps, and Sam pushed open the half knocked down door. The air inside was musty and damp. Sam's flashlight flickered on and Diana's followed. Adiana coughed on the dusty air.

"What are we looking for?" questioned Diana.

"I'll let you know when we find it." Sam's flashlight fell on a set of stairs. "Let's split up gang."

"You watch Scooby-Doo?" Adiana asked in surprise. Sam shrugged.

"I did when I was little. I'll take the stairs." Diana nodded and turned to the adjacent room. Adiana followed Sam up the staircase. She treaded carefully, watching for weak or missing boards. Sam reached for the doorknob at the top of the staircase.

"Sam!" Diana's worried voice yelled from somewhere below. "Sam!"

Sam nearly trampled Adiana in his attempt to get down the staircase. Adiana moved out of the way and leapt down the stairs behind him. At the bottom of the stairs, Sam shone his flashlight in the direction of Diana's voice. Diana was standing near a corner, her face pale.

"What is it?" asked Sam.

"It was Claire. She was here, over by the window. It was almost like she was gesturing to me." Diana took a deep shaky breath.

Sam moved to examine the window. He leaned the shovel against the array of shelves. Carefully, he took down one of the shelves, revealing the dirty glass behind. Written on the glass was 'Ashland' with 'sup' underneath.

"Our mystery word," breathed Diana. Sam pulled the EMF meter out of his pocket and started to move around the room. "What's that?"

"It's an EMF meter," said Sam.

"It picks up electromagnetic frequencies, which indicate supernatural activity," added Adiana. As Sam approached the opposing wall, the meter began to whir and the lights flashed.

"Hand me that shovel." Adiana grabbed the shovel and gave it to Sam. He began to pound it against the wall. Bits of brick and plaster fell away. The wall was beginning to decay and after a few minutes of banging, Sam had made a small hole. He pulled out his flashlight and looked in.

"Yup. There's definitely something in there." Sam continued to smash the wall with his shovel. "You know, this is bothering me."

"Well, you are digging up a corpse," replied Diana.

"It's not that. It's just that vengeful spirits don't want to be wasted, so why would Claire lead us to her remains?" Sam pushed against the wall and a huge chunk of bricks fell away. He leaned the shovel against the wall and, with the help of Diana and Adiana, removed the large bag from the hole in the wall and laid it on the floor. He cut the ropes surrounding the bag and pulled it open.

Adiana wrinkled her nose at the smell of rotting meat. In the bag was the body of a girl, her skin almost all gone, her wrists bound. Diana held up her hands and there were bruises around the wrists, just where bruises would be on Claire's wrists. Looking down at the body, Sam lifted up a necklace. There was a sharp intake of breath from Diana. Sam held it in front of Diana.

"You recognize this necklace?" Diana nodded.

"I've seen one like it. They're very rare, and they're custom made over on Carson Street." She pulled an identical necklace from under her blouse. "Peter gave it to me."

"Now this all makes perfect sense," realized Sam. Adiana raised her eyebrows.

"Really? Do tell."

"You see, Claire is not a vengeful spirit. She's a death omen. Claire's not killing anyone. She's trying to warn them. You see, sometimes spirits don't want vengeance, they want justice which is why she's here in the first place. She wants us to know who her killer is. Detective, how much do you know about your partner?" Diana thought it over.

"Oh my God. About a year ago, some heroin went missing from lock up. Obviously it was a cop. I never found it who did it, but whoever did it would need someone to fence their product."

"Somebody like a heroin dealer," voiced Sam.

"Somebody like Claire," said Adiana.

"My phone's in the car. I'll call the station." Diana beckoned for Adiana and Sam to follow her. They all hurried out the door and to the car. Diana unlocked the front door and pulled out a cell phone.

"Hello, Paul? This is Detective Ballard. I need to speak with Detective Sheridan. Uh-huh. When? Thank you."

"Well?" asked Adiana anxiously.

"Pete just left and he took Dean."

"What?" Sam gasped.

"He said the prisoner had to be transferred. And he just took him," clarified Diana. "Dispatch has been calling, but he won't answer the radio."

"Radio? He took a county vehicle?"

"Yeah."

"Then it should have a lowjack. You just gotta get it turned on." They got into the car, Adiana crawling agitatedly into the back seat. Before Diana redialed the station, she caught a glimpse of Adiana's concerned expression.

"I'm sure Dean will be fine." Adiana didn't look at her.

"Just hurry."

* * *

Dean knelt on the ground, his wrists and feet cuffed. He was facing Peter, who wore his usual cool gaze.

"You're not going to make it to St. Louis," Peter informed him. "You're going to die trying to escape." Peter pulled out a police pistol and pointed it at Dean's face.

"Wait! Wait!" said Dean quickly, holding up his hands. "Let's talk about this. You don't want to do something you're going to regret. Well, maybe you do..."

"Pete!" Both men turned to see Diana, Sam and Adiana. Diana had her own gun pointing directly at Peter. Adiana moved as if to run to Dean.

"Adiana, stay where you are," warned Dean.

"Put the gun down," ordered Diana.

"How'd you find me?" asked Peter.

"I know about Claire," confided Diana, moving forward a little.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Put the gun down!"

"I don't think so. You're fast, but I'm faster."

"Why'd you do it?"

"I didn't do anything."

"It's a little late for that."

"It wasn't my fault. Claire was going to turn me in. I had no choice."

"And Tony? Karen?"

"Same thing! Tony scrubbed the money. Then he got skittish, and he wanted to come clean. I'm sure he told Karen everything. It was a mess. I needed to clean it up. I panicked."

"How many more people are going to die over this, Pete?"

"There's a way out. This Dean kid's a friggin' gift. We could pin the whole thing on him. No trial, nothing. Just one more dead scumbag."

"Hey!" objected Dean, but he was silent again as Peter flicked the gun warningly.

"No one will question it," continued Peter. "Diana, I still love you." Diana paused for a moment, then slowly lowered the gun.

"Thank you," said Peter. "Thank you." He turned back to Dean and took aim. Diana suddenly fired her gun at Peter. Dean rolled out of the line of fire as Sam moved forward towards his brother.

"Why don't you buy me another necklace, you ass?" hissed Diana. Without warning, Peter straightened up, the gun still in his hands. He pointed it at Sam, who quickly put his hands up.

"Don't do it." Peter turned back to Dean. Then, he froze noticing the figure standing behind him. Claire glared at Peter, blood gushing from a wound in her neck. Peter twisted toward to her, and Diana fired two shots into his back. Smiling, Claire disappeared. Adiana hesitated for only a second before running to Dean and kneeling down beside him.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Really?"

"Yeah." Adiana threw her arms around Dean's neck.

"Thank God, you're alright." Adiana could feel Dean shaking in her arms and drew back, her eyes meeting Dean's smile. "What are you laughing at?"

"Nothing."

"What?"

"You're a wreck."

"Gee, thanks." Adiana frowned, annoyed and made as if to stand up, but Dean grabbed her hand and pulled her back down.

"But you're my wreck," Dean affirmed before pulling Adiana in for a kiss.

* * *

Adiana, Sam and Dean were all standing by Diana's car. Dean was now cuff-free, and Adiana had entwined one of her hands in his. Diana walked slowly over to them.

"You doin' all right?" asked Sam.

"Not really. The death omen, Claire. What happens to her now?"

"It should be over. She should be at rest."

"So… what now officer?" questioned Dean.

"Pete did confess to me, but he screwed up all your cases royally. I say there's a good chance we can get your cases dismissed."

"You'd take care of that for us?" queried Sam gratefully.

"I hope so, but the St. Louis murder charges? That's another story. I can't help you. Unless… I just happen to turn my back and you walked away? I could tell them that the suspects escaped."

"Wait are you sure?" asked Sam.

"Yeah she's sure, Sam!" said Dean quickly.

"No it's just… you could lose your job over something like this."

"Look, I just want you guys out there doing what you do best. Trust me, I'll sleep better at night. Listen, you need to watch your back. They're going to be looking for all of you right now. Get out of here. I gotta radio this in." They begin to walk away when Dean turned back.

"Do you know where my car is?"

"It's at the impound on Robertson. But don't even think about it."

"It's okay. We'll just improvise," pledged Sam. "We're pretty good at that."

"Yeah, I've noticed. Oh, and Adiana?"

"Yeah?"

"I hope you have better luck than I do." Adiana smiled and squeezed Dean's hand.

"I think I will." The trio headed down the dirt road leading away from the crime scene. Dawn had already broken, but clouds obscured the sun. Instead, a hazy mist hung over the road.

"Nice lady," commented Sam. Dean shrugged.

"Yeah, for a cop. Did she look familiar to you?"

"No, why?"

"I dunno. Anyway, are you hungry?"

"No."

"For some reason I could really go for some pea soup." Adiana thought for a moment before realizing the joke. She grimaced.

"That's disgusting."


	14. Crossroad Blues Part I

**For my reveiwers: liz, Caroline Ackles, NERD1144, Artemisdesari, Nelle07, Dragongrl58, sweetangel2617.**

Adiana shivered in the cool air and took a sip of her coffee. The hot liquid poured down her throat, warming her instantly. She pulled her jacket a little tighter and kept the coffee in her hands. The bruises on her wrists were almost gone, faded to a dull purple. It had been about a week since they'd gotten out of jail.

"So much for a low profile," said Sam, staring at his laptop. "You got a warrant in St. Louis, and you're officially in the Fed's database." Dean laughed excitedly.

"Dude, I'm like Dilanger or something."

"Dean, it's not funny. It makes the job harder. We gotta be more careful now."

"Well, what've they got on you?" Sam paused and quickly scrolled down the page.

"I'm sure they just haven't posted it yet…"

"Wait, no accessory? Nothin'?"

"Shut up."

"Ha! You're jealous."

"No, I'm not!"

"Boys, boys," interrupted Adiana. "Honestly… though just out of curiosity, am I on there?" Sam hesitated before answering.

"Yeah, accessory."

"That's my girl!" said Dean proudly. Adiana gave him a playful shove. "Alright, what have you got on the case there, you innocent harmless young man you?" Frowning, Sam brought up some case files on the laptop screen.

"Architect Sean Boyden plummeted to his death from the roof of his home, a condominium he designed. Earlier, he called animal control reporting seeing 'vicious, wild black dogs'. Authorities couldn't find them, and no one else saw it. After that, he doesn't show up for work, and two days later he died."

"So how do the dogs tie into his death?" asked Adiana.

"There are spectral black dogs all over the world. Some say they're animal spirits, and others say they're death omens."

"Who's the last person to see him before he died?" questioned Dean.

"That would be his business partner, Ryan Mills."

"Well, what are we waiting around for? Let's go."

* * *

"So what did you find out?" asked Adiana, leaning over the backseat of the Impala.

"Not too much," said Sam, watching the door of the animal control building. "Apparently, ten years ago Sean couldn't design to save his life. He worked as a bartender at Lloyd's Bar. Then, he was suddenly amazing."

"Weird." Dean opened the front door of the Impala and slid in. Sam looked at him expectantly.

"So?"

"The secretary's name is Carly. She's twenty-three. She kayaks… and they're real."

"Excuse me," said Adiana indignantly, "Hi, remember me? And these are real too, if you couldn't tell when you-" Sam quickly cut her off.

"You didn't happen to ask her if she has seen any black dogs lately, did you?" Dean pulled out a wad of papers.

"Every complaint called in this week about anything big, black, hairy or dog-like. There are nineteen calls in all, and ah," Dean pulled a pink post it note off the top paper and handed it to Sam, "I don't know what this thing is."

"You mean Carly's myspace address?"

"Yeah, myspace, what the hell is that?" Sam laughed, and Adiana snatched the post-it out of his hand. "Seriously, is that like some sort of porn site?" Adiana rolled down the window and threw it out. There, one temptation out of the way.

"So who's first on the list?" asked Sam, still grinning.

"Uh, Sylvia Bondman, 182 Chesapeake Lane. Check that out will you?" Sam turned on his laptop and quickly got directions. The Impala took off, sending the post-it note flying.

* * *

The Impala was parked neatly in the driveway of Sylvia's house. Adiana watched impatiently out the window. She was beginning to hate always being the one left in the Impala. Apparently, three people would look too suspicious, but they could trade off or something. She leaned back against the door and gazed out the opposite window.

A small boy in a bright red baseball cap rode by on his bicycle. His father jogged right behind him, hands held out protectively. The bike began to wobble, and the boy teetered dangerously. The father sped up in case he needed to pull the boy off, but the boy straightened the bike. The father's mouth moved, evidently giving some words of encouragement. They continued down the sidewalk and turned the corner out of sight.

Adiana smiled, remembering when she had first learned to ride a bike. The first time she had fallen off right away. The second time, her father held on to the back and ran with her as she pedaled. Adiana had turned around to tell her father to let go only to discover he already had. Her father waved at her from halfway down the street. Without thinking, Adiana had raised a hand to wave back. The bike had fallen over, and she scraped up her legs. Her father had carried her home and put band-aids on the bruises. He'd gotten her favorite ice cream and told her how proud he was. Then, she'd felt completely better… and she'd never see him again. She'd never see any of her family again. She was shocked at how little she had thought about them. Were they missing her now? They must be so worried. She sunk down further in the seat, one arm wrapped around her waist. She curled a fist in front of her mouth as sadness washed over her. How could she not have thought about her family?

"Adiana, are you okay?" asked Dean as he got back into the Impala.

"Huh?" Adiana caught her expression in the mirror. Her eyes were shimmering on the verge of tears. She quickly put on a smile. She had to forget about it because there was nothing she could do, and after all she had Dean and Sam now. They were family. "Oh, it's nothing. What did you find out?"

"We spoke with the maid," said Sam, "Sylvia disappeared two days ago after reporting having seen two massive black dogs. She became a surgeon ten years ago, which was weird because she should have been too young to get the job. We also found a picture taken ten years ago at Lloyd's Bar."

"Lloyd's Bar, isn't that where Sean worked?"

"Yup, so that's where we're headed."

Adiana nodded and sat up straight in the backseat, concentrating on the door handle so that the tears would dissipate in her eyes. Dean watched her in the mirror as he pulled the Impala out of the driveway. He was tempted to question her further, but he had never really been good at all of that 'feelings' stuff. Well, he'd think of something.

* * *

The Impala pulled to a halt next to Lloyd's Bar. It was an old wooden building, rather run down and dirty. The cloudy skies cast odd shadows across the front porch. The trio got out of the Impala and walked toward the front door. Their footsteps crunched on the gravel beneath their feet. It was the only noise, perhaps for miles around. Despite the warmth, Adiana shivered. Dean stopped, eyeing the yellow flowers growing in the middle of a patch of weeds.

"Those are yarrow flowers, used for summoning rituals," Dean noted. He moved to the center of the crossroads. "Isn't it odd that ten years ago, two people suddenly became successes where there just happens to be a crossroad?" Dean walked to the trunk of the Impala, opened it and pulled out a shovel. Moving back to the center of the crossroad, he began to dig. Adiana looked to Sam, confused.

"What's he doing?" Sam shrugged.

"Beats me." Dean straightened up, an old metal box in his hand. Adiana and Sam circled around the box as Dean pulled it open.

"Graveyard dirt, a black cat bone…" Dean pulled out a picture.

"Isn't this all the stuff needed to summon a demon?" asked Sam.

"Not just summon it. Crossroads are where pacts are made. These people are actually making deals with the damn thing."

"Then these people aren't seeing black dogs. They're seeing hellhounds."

"Uh, what?" asked Adiana.

"They're like demonic pit bulls."

"It's like the Robert Johnson legend," commented Dean. "The whole 'selling your soul at the crossroads' deal. Robert Johnson died choking on his own blood. Before he died, he was hallucinating and muttering about 'big black dogs'."

"We need to find out if any more people made deals with this demon. We need to warn them."

"You know, maybe we should just drop the case."

"What?"

"It's their decision to make the deals. No one is forcing them to do it."

"And just leave these people to die? Come on, Dean."

"…All right, fine. But first, I need a drink." Adiana rolled her eyes but turned to walk to the bar door. Hopefully, there was some food too because she was starving. She opened the door and went inside. Dean stopped Sam before they could head in.

"I need you to do something."

"What?"

"Find out what Adiana was upset about it."

"Uh, you two are together or whatever now so...why don't you just ask her?"

"You know I'm no good with all that touchy-feely stuff. Come on man, please?"

"All right," Sam sighed. "But just this time."

"Hey." Adiana poked her head out of the door. "Are you guys coming or what?"

"Yeah" said Dean quickly, and he grabbed her around the waist and headed in. Sam came in behind, thinking about exactly how he was going to start the conversation.

The bar was relatively old looking, but the tables seemed somewhat newer. The bar had clearly passed through many owners. A few people were lingering around with drinks, mainly men, but there were some woman too. The trio went up to the bar.

"I'll have a Corona," said Dean.

"A Budlight," added Sam.

"A Baybreeze for me please," said Adiana. The bartender moved to get their drinks. Dean grabbed his Corona.

"I'm gonna see what I can find out for the case." He hurriedly left, casting a quick glance at Sam. Adiana caught the glance.

"Is there something I'm missing?"

"No," said Sam, calmly taking a sip of his beer.

"So what do you think happened to that doctor?"

"Honestly, I don't know yet." Adiana twisted her glass around in her hands.

"Hope she's okay."

"I'm sure she's fine. Speaking of which, are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah."

"Do you want to tell me what happened?" Adiana gave Sam a long look.

"Dean put you up to this."

"No."

"I know he did." She swallowed a mouthful of her drink. "Really, it was nothing. I was just thinking about my family. I haven't seen them in a long time, you know?"

"Yeah, I know how that feels. I-" Sam broke off, looking at something over Adiana's shoulder.

"What is it?" Adiana turned around. Her gaze found Dean with a girl practically hanging on him. Adiana lifted up her glass and finished the drink, her eyes never leaving Dean. The woman was gorgeous and slightly tipsy judging by the way she was swaying around his neck. They were looking a little too friendly. Adiana set her glass down on the bar. Okay, you have to remember that Dean is going to be Dean. Don't be jealous. Don't be jealous. Don't be - Okay I'm going to work on this later.

"I'll be right back." Adiana got up and walked over to Dean. He spotted her, and his smile faded a little. Adiana stepped protectively next to Dean and smiled at the pretty brunette. "Hi."

"Who's this?" asked the girl, eyeing Adiana scathingly.

"I'm Adiana, his girlfriend." The woman looked at Dean with disgust.

"Liar. You said you were single," said the woman. "Although with her, I can see why you'd say that." Adiana tried hard not to feel hurt by that remark, but it had stung. She looked up at Dean, who was glaring after the woman. He pulled his gaze away and turned it down to Adiana apologetically.

"Adiana, I-"

"I understand that you are going to flirt with girls Dean. It's who you are. And I'll get used to it-"

"Look, I was just having a little fun."

" - but you told her you were single."

"Well, if you make them more comfortable, you can get more information out of them."

"And that's how you make them more comfortable? Telling them you're single?"

"No, I-"

"It's okay. You know what, I'm sorry. I'm being overprotective. I know you'd never do anything to hurt me." Adiana mouth tugged into a small smile. "It's just you're so damn attractive, I worry someone's going to steal you away." Dean cupped her face in his hands, running his thumbs over the soft skin.

"Babe, I'm not going anywhere."

"Swear on the Impala?"

"I swear on her beautiful body, it's just you and me… unless of course, threesomes are your thing?"

"You mean, you, me and Sam? I could go for that." Adiana smiled wickedly as Dean made a disgusted face.

"Ugh brain searing imagery. Never mind." Adiana laughed and gave him a quick kiss.

"Just kidding. So did you find anything out?" Dean looked guiltily at the floor.

"Uh…"

"Typical," Adiana sighed. "Come on. Let's ask around."


	15. Crossroad Blues Part II

**For the reviewers: Aretemisdesari, Poaetpainter, gazuni, Caroin Ackles, Razorbackgal0225, NERD1144, Dragongrl58, sofia.**

The brothers walked up the staircase of an apartment, Adiana following just a step behind.

"What's this guy's name again?" asked Sam.

"George Darrow," responded Dean, "Really quite the regular at Lloyd's. Course his house ain't exactly the next on MTV Cribs…"

"Yeah. So whatever type of deal he made-"

"-it wasn't for cash. Yeah, who knows? Maybe his place is full of babes in Princess Leah bikinis." Adiana rolled her eyes.

"Of all the things you could possibly wish for…"

"I'm just saying, this guy has one epic bill due. He could at least ask for something fun." The trio stopped outside of apartment 4C. The white door was dirty and stained.

"Look at that." Sam pointed to a bluish power at the foot of the door. Dean crouched down to touch it. He picked up a bit and smelled it.

"What is that, pepper?" Just then the door swung open. An older looking black man eyed the trio nervously.

"Who the hell are you?"

"George Darrow?" asked Sam.

"I'm not buying anything." George started to shut the door.

"Woah, woah, woah. Looks like you went for the wrong shaker there," commented Dean. "Usually when you want to keep something evil out you go for the salt." George looked down at the powder, then back to Dean.

"I don't know what you're talking 'bout."

"I'm talking about this." Dean reached in his pocket and pulled out the old photo that had been in the box buried beneath the crossroads and held it up. "You see that hellhound yet?"

"Look, we want to help," implored Sam. "Please, just five minutes." George stared at them for a considerable amount of time then looked back at the photograph. Slowly, he nodded and opened the door.

As Adiana entered the apartment, she was struck by how unusual it was. Odd paintings and masks hung everywhere. There was a shelf of different bags, bottles and various other different items in the middle of the room. An unfinished canvas was propped up on an easel near a dirty window. The dim light that filtered in barely lit the apartment.

"So what is that stuff out front?" questioned Sam. George poured himself a drink from one of the bottles on a shelf.

"Goofier Dust. You boys think you know something about something but not Goofier Dust?" George shook his head and threw a bag to Dean, which he caught.

"Well, we know a little about a lot of things," said Dean. "Just enough to make us dangerous."

"What is it?" asked Sam, gesturing to the bag.

"Hoodoo. My grandma taught me. Keeps out demons." Dean laughed.

"Demons we know."

"Well then, keep it. Maybe it'll do you some good." George walked across the room taking a gulp of his drink.

"Mr. Darrow, you know you're in trouble-"

"Yeah, that you got yourself into," interrupted Dean.

"But it's not hopeless all right? There's got to be something we can do."

"Listen, I understand that you boys-"

"And girl," added Adiana.

"And girl, want to help. But sometimes a person makes their bed, and they just got to lie down in it. I'm the one who called that demon in the first place." Dean nodded as if he had suspected as much.

"What'd you do it for?"

"I was weak. I mean, who don't want to be great? Who don't want their life to mean something? I just… I just never thought about the price."

"Was it worth it?"

"Hell no. I asked for talent. Should have gone for fame. I'm still broke and lonely. Now, I just got this pile of paintings don't nobody want. But that wasn't the worst." He paused.

"Go on," encouraged Sam.

"The demon stayed. I hadn't counted on that. After the deal was done, the damn thing stayed at Lloyd's for a week. Just chatting and making more deals. I tried to warn folk but don't nobody listen to an old drunk."

"How many others are there?"

"I don't know. There was an architect and a doctor lady. I kept up with them. They'd been in the papers. At least they got famous."

"Who else? Come on, think," demanded Dean.

"There was one more. A nice guy, too. Hudson. Evan, I think. I don't know what he has, but don't matter now. We done for."

"No," said Sam, "No. There's got to be a way."

"You don't get it! I don't want a way. Look, I called that thing. I brought it on myself. I brought it on them. I'm going to hell. All I want to do is finish my last painting. A day or two and I'm done. I'm just trying to hold them off 'til the end. Buy a little time. Okay it's time you went. Go help somebody who wants help."

"Look-"

"Get out! I got work to do." George picked up a paintbrush.

"You don't really want to die."

"I don't… but I'm tired." The brothers looked at each other and turned to walk out. Adiana cast one more pitying look at George. She turned to follow the boys. "Hey girl."

"Yeah."

"Take this." George came up to Adiana and pressed a small knit bag into her hand. She looked at it.

"What is it?" George leaned in a whispered into Adiana's ear. She nodded. "Thank you."

* * *

The lights of the Hudson house were on, illuminating the porch. It was a nice looking home with plants surrounding the steps. The door made a light banging sound as Sam rapped on it. A tall, blonde man opened the door.

"Yes?"

"Evan Hudson-" started Sam.

"You ever go to a bar called Lloyd's? It would have been about ten years ago," said Dean. Evan's face twisted in a panicked expression and he slammed the door. "Wait we're not the demons!"

"Any other bright ideas?" asked Sam sarcastically. Dean backed up and kicked the door. It went flying open.

"I love it when you do that," sighed Adiana. The trio ran into the house and quickly found the door behind which they could hear footsteps. Dean lifted his foot to kick open the door, but Sam caught it.

"Wait." He reached for the handle and pushed the door open. They entered into a study with a large bookshelf and a computer. Each cast about the room for Evan. Evan inched out from behind a wall, his hands in the air.

"Please, don't hurt me."

"We're not gonna hurt you," Sam assured. "We're here to help you."

"We know all about the genius deal you made," added Dean.

"What? How?" Evan lowered his hands.

"Doesn't matter," said Sam. "We're here to help, all right?"

"How do I know you're not lying?"

"Well you don't." Dean shrugged. "But you're kinda running low on options here buddy-boy."

"Can you stop it?"

"I don't know, but we'll try," stated Sam.

"I don't want to die."

"Of course you don't, not now."

"Dean," warned Sam.

"What did you ask for, huh? Never need Viagra? Bowl a perfect game? What?"

"My wife."

"Right, getting the girl." Dean laughed. "Well, that's worth a trip to hell for."

"Dean, stop!"

"No, he's right. No one made me do it. No one twisted my arm. That woman at the bar, she said I could have anything I wanted. I thought she was nuts at first, but… I don't know. I was desperate."

"Desperate?" Evan sighed and leaned on his desk.

"Julie was dying."

"You did it to save her?" asked Dean.

"She had cancer. They had stopped treatment. They had moved her into hospice. They kept saying it was a matter of days. So yeah, I made the deal, and I'd do it again. I'd have died for her on the spot."

"Did you ever think about her in all this?"

"I did this for her."

"You sure about that? I think you did it for yourself so you wouldn't have to live without her. But guess what, she's gonna have to live without you now. And what if she knew how much it cost? What if she knew it cost your soul? How'd you think she'd feel?"

"Okay, that's enough." Sam put a hand on Dean's arm. "Evan, you sit tight all right? We'll figure this out. Adiana, stay with him." Adiana nodded and put a hand on Dean's shoulder as he passed. She gave him a reassuring smile, but Dean shrugged off her hand and walked out of the room with Sam behind him.

"You two together?" asked Evan. Adiana nodded.

"Yeah."

"What's he so worked up about then?" She hesitated.

"His father died to save him. He's never really forgiven himself. Don't worry about it. I'd do the same thing as you. So what's Julie like?"

"Oh, she's beautiful, smart. She likes to laugh, always makes everyone smile. When I found out she had cancer, it was like the end of the world. I couldn't imagine living one day without her. You know what I mean?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I do." Evan sighed.

"But now, we'll both have to pay anyway."

"Not if they can help it. The Winchester boys are on the case. They'll figure something out." Sam came back into the room, the bag of Goofier Dust in his hand. "Where's Dean?"

"He went to the crossroads to find the demon."

"He what?" Adiana made a dash for the door, but Sam grabbed her arm.

"Dean told me to keep you here." Adiana frowned but made no further attempt to break for the door. "Evan, stand here next to Adiana." Evan moved, eyeing Sam as he began spreading the Dust on the floor in a ring. "Now, whatever you do just stay inside the circle." Sam moved over to the door and spread the Dust across the floor. He shoved the empty bag into his pocket moving back across the room.

"Now what?" asked Evan.

"We wait."

* * *

"You hear that?" asked Evan, his eyes darting around nervously.

"No, where's it coming from?"

"The door!"

"Just stay there." The door began to rattle and shift as Sam jumped into the circle. "You still hear it?" Evan turned in different directions.

"No. Is it over?" Sam shrugged. Suddenly, Evan jerked around. He stared at the air vent. It burst open in a cloud of dust. "It's here."

"Stay inside the circle," said Sam. They all watched in horror as claw marks appeared on the floor coming closer. They stopped at the ring. A cold wind began to blow, and the Dust started to disappear. Soon, there was a small gap.

"They've broken through. Go!" yelled Sam.

Evan was the first out of the room. He hurried down the hall into a small closet. Sam slammed the door shut and leaned against it as the hellhounds tried to break through. Adiana pressed herself against the back wall next to Evan and they stared in terror at the door. Then, the pounding stopped. They all looked at each other.

* * *

The Impala sped down the highway in the light rain. Dean gripped the steering wheel tightly.

"Dad, is in hell right now, and it's all because of me."

"Demons lie all the time, right?" noted Sam. "It was lying."

"Come on, is that really what you think?"

"He did it for you."

"Exactly. How am I supposed to live with that? I mean, he spent his whole life chasing that yellow-eyed son of a bitch. He should have gone out fighting. That was supposed to be his legacy, you know? Not bargaining with the damn thing. Not this."

"Dean." Adiana leaned forward in her seat. "It's not your fault."

"How many people do you think Dad saved?" asked Sam.

"Doesn't matter. That's not the point."

"Evan Hudson was saved because of what Dad taught us. That's his legacy, Dean. And we're still here, so we gotta keep going. For him." There was a long pause. "Hey Dean."

"Yeah?"

"When you were trapping that demon, it was all a trick, right? You never considered actually making a deal to save Dad, right?" Dean said nothing, his mouth clamped shut.

"Dean." Adiana nervously touched his shoulder. "Tell me you didn't consider it." Dean reached forward and turned on the radio. Adiana fell back in her seat, clutching her hands tightly together as she stared worriedly at Dean in the mirror.


	16. Game Night, It's Not Just For Chicks

**For the reviewers: Nelle07, NERD1144, SabinaGirl, wicked rose, Artemisdesari, DaTruePrincess, Caroline Ackles, EzraDuke, DevilWearsJeans**

Adiana lay on her stomach watching Dean checking through the weapons. Sam sat on a chair, staring absently out the front window into the night. The rain had finally let up after four days of a downpour, but the skies were still gloomy.

"I'm bored," Adiana sighed.

"I'm Dean."

"No, honestly. We should do something."

"What would you suggest?" asked Sam, turning away from the window.

"Hmmm… well you guys would obviously beat me at cards so that's no fun. Tag is also out 'cause I can't outrun you… I know! I haven't done this for ages!"

"What?" questioned Sam.

"Truth or Dare."

"No way," said Dean. "I'm not playing some game chicks play at slumber parties."

"Awww, come on." Adiana pouted. "Sam will play, right?" Sam shrugged.

"Yeah, I guess."

"See? Please."

"Nope," said Dean, reloading one of the rifles.

"If you play…" Adiana thought for a moment, and then sat up. "I'll play strip poker after." Dean thought it over.

"Everything goes?" Adiana glanced at Sam, who was staring determinately up at the ceiling. She hesitated.

"Alright, everything goes." Dean smiled.

"Then I'm in, but two rounds only."

"Fine. Who's first?"

"I'll go," offered Sam. "Adiana, truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"Okay, um…"

"What cup size are you?" suggested Dean. Adiana leaned over and smacked him lightly across the knee.

"It's not your turn."

"What's the most embarrassing thing you've ever done?" Adiana considered the question.

"In fourth grade, a group of older kids told me that if I climbed to the top of the monkey bars, said a magic chant and jumped off, I'd fly."

"And you did it?"

"I was very gullible, okay? Yes I did it, and broke my arm in the fall. Then, I had to explain to everyone that I broke my arm trying to fly off the monkey bars. Okay Dean, truth or dare?"

"I'll take dare, Peter Pan." Adiana scowled.

"I dare you to…" Adiana picked up a phone book lying on the bureau and flipped through. "…dial up this pizza place and say 'I am Rex, God of the Raptor World, and I demand a pizza'." Dean took the phone book, giving Adiana a weird look.

"Okay."

"Oh, and you have to hiss at the end. And sound scary and powerful, like you mean it. Embrace your inner dinosaur." Dean picked up the phone and dialed. He put the phone to his ear. Sam threw Adiana a questioning glance.

"Rex, God of the Raptor World?"

"Long story. Slumber party in the seventh grade." Dean frowned, waiting for someone to pick up. Then someone did.

"I am Rex, God of the Raptor World, and I demand a pizza! Hisssssssss!" He hung up. Both Sam and Adiana were laughing.

"I wish I had that on camera," Adiana giggled.

"I wish I could see that guy's reaction," commented Sam.

"All right, all right. It was hilarious. Sammy, truth or dare?"

"Truth." Dean grinned menacingly.

"When was the last time you wet the bed?" Sam frowned.

"You know the answer."

"Adiana doesn't."

"Jerk… I was fourteen."

"Fourteen?" Adiana's eyes widened.

"Dean thought it would be funny to stick my hand in warm water while I was sleeping."

"It was funny," said Dean. "Especially when you had to tell Dad."

"OK!" exclaimed Adiana, before an argument broke out. "Sam, I'll do a dare." Sam cast about the room.

"Jump head-first out that window." He pointed to the window across the room. Adiana looked incredulously at him.

"Are you trying to get me killed?"

"It's all dirt and grass back there. You'll be fine. Besides, I can't think of a better dare."

"I can think of a few," said Dean, smirking suggestively. Adiana shook her head.

"Window it is then." She got off the bed and crossed the room. Opening the window, she looked outside. It was pitch black. She couldn't even see the ground that well. She backed up, and with a running leap pushed out through the window. The brothers heard a splattering sound as she landed. There was a scuffling, then a disgusted groan. "This is great, just fabulous." Sam and Dean looked at each other. There was a light scraping sound as Adiana began to feel her way along the wall. The sound slowly faded. Soon, there was a knock on the door. Sam got up and opened it. Adiana stood in the doorway, covered in mud. "I don't suppose you remembered what you get when you mix lots of rain with dirt?" She scraped a chunk of mud off of her t-shirt.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry."

"Of course you are." Adiana stepped in. "Dean, truth or dare? And make it quick, I want to take a shower."

"Truth."

"Would you rather be deaf or blind?"

"I don't know. Deaf?"

"Good enough for me. I'm stealing your clothes because mine are in the wash."

"Just don't get any makeup on them. Sammy?"

"Dare." Dean moved to the small refrigerator. There was a clinking of glass, and the sound of something being squeezed out of a bottle. Adiana stopped sifting through Dean's clothes, which she had only touched after washing her hands.

"What are you doing?"

"Sammy," said Dean, straightening up. "You have to drink this." Dean held out a shot glass filled with some red substance.

"What is it?" asked Sam, walking over.

"Ketchup, soy sauce, hot mustard and barbecue sauce."

"And you expect me to drink it?"

"Yup." Dean handed the shot glass to Sam who stared at it disgustedly. Then, he raised it to his lips and slurped it down. He placed the empty glass on top of the refrigerator.

"How was it?" asked Adiana.

"Gross."

"Well, I'll leave the bathroom door unlocked. If you think you're gonna be sick, don't hesitate." Adiana stood up and walked into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. Sam got a beer out of the refrigerator and gulped it down.

"Easy there. I don't want you puking all over me." Dean moved back to the bed and continued looking through the weapons. Sam sat down on the other bed, looking slightly pale. He gazed out the window, his eyes glazing over as he tried very hard not to be sick.

* * *

Adiana came out of the bathroom forty-five minutes later. She had on an AC/DC t-shirt and pants that were much too long, so she'd had to roll them up. She looked at Sam who was leaning out the back window. "You okay? I told you, you could have come in the bathroom."

"I'll be fine. Just don't jump out that window again. I don't think I could look at anything brown and oozing after that."

"Wasn't planning on it."

"All right, who's ready for poker?" asked Dean. Sam shut the window and flopped down in one of the seats at the table. Adiana took a seat, biting her lip nervously. She had never been that good at poker. Dean, already at the table, pulled out a deck of cards.

"No cheating," warned Adiana. Dean put his hand to his heart, as though mortally wounded.

"I'm offended that you have such a low opinion of me."

"But a well justified opinion. Deal the cards." Dean dealt the hand of cards. They went around trading in unwanted cards for new ones. Dean had one pair. Adiana had two pair. Sam had nothing. Sighing, he kicked off his shoes.

Twenty minutes later, and it was still anyone's game. Sam was winning, left in his shirt, boxers and jeans. Adiana and Dean were tied, Dean in his boxers and pants, Adiana in a bra and boxers.

"Why are you wearing my boxers?"

"I thought we'd been through this. My clothes are being washed."

"Yet you have a bra."

"It was in your drawer." Sam gave Dean a strange look. Dean gazed defensively back.

"What?"

"Nothing," said Sam with a small smile.

"It's not mine. Some chick-"

"Shhhh, I don't want to know," interrupted Adiana. "I got three of a kind."

"Straight," said Sam, laying down his hand.

"Flush."

"Cheater," accused Adiana, but she pulled off the boxers under the table. "Sam's dealing this round."

"Fine." Dean pushed the cards to Sam. Sam dealt.

Four rounds later, and both boys were left in only their boxers. This would be the last round. Adiana laughed.

"What's so funny?" questioned Dean, looking up from his cards

"I just never thought I'd get both the Winchester brother out of their pants." Adiana grinned and shook her head. "There'd been millions of jealous fan girls if this ever got out. I'll take two cards." She exchanged her cards, and, still grinning, looked down on them thoughtfully.

"Three cards." Dean picked up his new cards, carelessly pushing the old ones away. Sam changed two of his cards. The trio kept glancing over the top of their cards, searching for some hint of how good the others' hands were.

"Two pair." Dean put down a pair of tens and Jacks.

"Full house." Sam put down three fours and a pair of sevens.

"God dammit!" Adiana threw her cards down on the table. It had been two pair, but lower than Dean's with a pair of nines and twos. "And it was so close!" Resignedly, Adiana pulled off her bra. The reaction was pretty much what she expected. Sam looked somewhere over Adiana's shoulder, though not before he got an eyeful. At least he had the grace to look embarrassed. Dean however, took a good look. Adiana folded her arms across her chest.

"All right Dean, nothing you haven't seen before."

"Okay," said Sam still looking elsewhere. "Too much information."

"May I get dressed?"

"I rather like what you're wearing now," remarked Dean. Ignoring him, Adiana leaned over and started pulling her clothes back on. The boys did the same.

"Well," said Adiana, standing up, "I think I've had enough humiliation for one day. I'm going to see if my clothes are done yet." She crossed the room and headed out the door.

"You are a sad, strange little man," said Sam, as Dean stared after Adiana.

"What do you mean? And why are you quoting a Disney movie?"

"You fixed the deck, didn't you?" accused Sam, fanning out the cards. Dean smiled.

"Possibly." Sam shook his head.

"Just so you could get her clothes off, which apparently doesn't seem to be a problem anyway."

"Hey, don't say you didn't look. I saw you."

"She's two feet away from me Dean. And I did look away. Besides, she's your girlfriend. Shouldn't you be mad at me or something?" Dean laughed.

"Sammy, as if you'd try to steal her. Besides, you don't have enough naked women in your life. It's good for you. I was doing you a favor."

"You're unbelievable."


	17. Croatoan

**For the ever loyal reviewers: NERD1144, Nelle07, Artemisdesari, Raconteur, Moon Lovegood, Ezra Duke, Dragongrl58, sweetangel2617, Devil Wears Jeans**

Adiana stretched and flipped another page in the book she was reading. It was an old battered murder mystery novel that she had grabbed from a book exchange in the lobby of the motel. Not that she had a book to exchange, rather she was simply going to read the book, then return it. It had been a while since Adiana had gotten the chance to sit down a read a book. It used to be one of her favorite things to do.

There was a short grunting noise, and Adiana looked up. Sam stood near the end of the bed she was sprawled upon, rubbing his forehead. He winced.

"You okay?" asked Adiana.

"Yeah, I'm-" Sam stopped, putting both hands to his head. He dropped to his knees.

"Sam? Sam!" Sam fell forward and lay unconscious on the floor. "Oh my God!" Adiana dropped the book and hurried to Sam's side. With a bit of effort, she rolled him on his back. "Still breathing," Adiana muttered to herself. "It… it must be one of his visions. Yes, that has to be it." Still, she should call Dean. Adiana got up to grab the phone. Just then, the door banged open and Dean came in with a pack of beer. Sam sat up breathing hard. Adiana nearly dropped the phone.

"Sam?" Dean looked at his brother with concern.

* * *

Sam scrolled through the directions on his cell phone. "There's only two towns in the US called River Grove."

"How come you're sure it's the one in Oregon?" asked Dean. Sam closed his eyes for a moment.

"There was a picture of Crater Lake."

"Okay. What else?"

"I saw a dark room, some people, and uh… a guy tied to a chair." Dean glanced at his brother.

"And I ventilated him?"

"Yeah. You thought there was something inside him."

"A demon? Was he possessed?" Sam shrugged.

"I don't know."

"Well, all of your weirdo visions are always tied to the yellow-eyed Demon somehow. So was there black smoke? Did we try to exorcise him?"

"No, nothing. You just plugged him. That's it."

"I'm sure I had a good reason."

"I sure hope so," Sam sighed.

"What does that mean? I'm not gonna waste an innocent man? I wouldn't."

"I never said you would!"

"Fine."

"Fine… Look, I don't know what it is," said Sam, "But whatever it is, the guy in that chair is a part of it. So let's find him and see what's what."

"Fine."

"Fine."

"Guys, please," implored Adiana.

* * *

The Impala pulled to a halt on the side of the road in River Grove. It was a very cozy town, with all the shops and houses close together. Sam looked around.

"He was there." He pointed to a tough looking dark-skinned man sitting on a porch, working on his fishing pole. The trio got out of the car. Adiana stretched her legs and headed off down the street.

"Where are you going?" asked Dean.

"I'm not staying in that car. I'm taking a walk. Be back soon." Adiana strolled off down the street. She glanced in the shop windows. There wasn't too much that interested her. Then again, she had never been a big shopper, only going when her friends dragged her. But in a town this small, there wasn't much else to do though.

Instead of walking back to the Impala, Adiana turned into a store called Anna's Boutique. She sorted through the clothing. Whenever she came to something she thought Dean would like, she stopped to consider it. Dean had been acting very distant lately. Adiana worried it might have been partially her fault, but Sam had assured her that was definitely not it. Dean was still feeling guilty about John's death. Still, it didn't make her feel any better that she couldn't console him. Whenever she tried to question him, Dean changed the subject. Adiana should have known better that to talk feelings with him, so she gave that up quickly. And yet, she had to do something to cheer him up. So here she was; buying clothes, if you could call them that, which she would never have dreamt of getting before. True he had gotten her lingerie back when he'd bought clothing for her, but she wanted this to be a surprise. The women at the cash register raised an eyebrow as she rang up the items.

"Bachelorette party? Bridal shower?"

"Err, no," said Adiana blushing slightly. "They're… for me."

"Ah, boyfriend having a rough time?"

"Yeah."

"That will be forty dollars and twenty seven cents." Adiana dug out a fifty and handed it to the cashier. The women handed Adiana the change and her bags. "Well, good luck with your man darlin'. Hope he likes 'em." She nodded at the bag.

"Thanks." Adiana left the store, her face still glowing. She glanced at her watch and hurried down the street at a gallop. Over an hour had passed since she had left the Impala. Dean wasn't going be happy. She nearly knocked over a couple of people in her mad sprint. Her bag hit one little kid on the shoulder. "Sorry!" shouted Adiana to the glaring mom, but she didn't stop running until she reached the Impala. That is she didn't stop running until she reached the spot where the Impala should have been.

The spot where the Impala should have been was empty. Adiana started at the cement. Where had they gone? They couldn't have gone far. The man on the porch was gone, so Adiana couldn't ask him. She should go looking around the town. Maybe they were searching for her. She started off down the street at a quick pace. No one seemed to be around. It was eerily quiet, and Adiana had the funny feeling she was being watched. She hunched her shoulders and briskly continued her search. Rounding the corner, Adiana spotted the Impala across from the local doctor's office. Relief washed over her and she crossed the street, heading for the office door. She yanked it open and nearly collided with Dean.

"There you are. Where were you?" Adiana crossed her arms.

"Where was I? I went to find the Impala and it was gone. Where were you?"

"Look, there isn't time. Go inside and Sammy will explain."

"Fine. Just put this in the car." Adiana shoved the bag at him and tried to stalk past. Dean caught her by the arm and kissed her. God, this was why she could never stay mad at him. "Whatever you do, don't leave this building."

"Alright," Adiana sighed. "But hurry back. Something's not right in this town."

"Don't I know it." Adiana wandered inside the building. She found her way to the examining room where Sam was talking to the doctor.

"Hey." Adiana wasn't sure what to call Sam, as he could be under any alias. Sam turned.

"Hi. Dr. Lee, Pam, Mrs. Tanner this is Ms. Garrow."

"Hi." Adiana shook the hands of the doctor and nurse. She was hesitant to shake the woman's hand. She looked extremely ill.

"Are you a marshal too?" asked Dr. Lee. So it was US Marshals this time.

"Uh, not yet. I'm in training. Getting some hands on experience, you know. Just checking out the town."

"Well, is this the first time you've seen an attack then?"

"Um… what?" Sam quickly interrupted.

"She wasn't in the car. We had her interviewing a few people." He turned to Adiana. "Mr. Tanner and his son attacked Mrs. Tanner. We had to stop Mr. Tanner, and he's…" Sam gestured to the body on one of the tables. "Turns out he had a virus. And Dr. Lee almost swears there were traces of sulfur in his blood." Adiana's eyes widened.

"Sulfur? But that's what-" She caught herself just in time. "Right, and your partner went to…"

"Get help in the next town. All the phone lines are down."

"Ok, that's weird. Didn't you try the radio?"

"Nothing works."

"Wait," interrupted Mrs. Tanner, "Are you saying that my husband and Jake had a disease?" Apparently, she was a little slow on the uptake. It was probably a mixture of shock and fatigue.

"That's right," said Dr. Lee, "Now, during the attack can you remember if you had any contact with their blood?"

"You don't think I could have this virus, do you?"

"Beverly, I don't know what to think, but with your permission I'd like to take a blood sample."

Mrs. Tanner nodded and put a hand over Dr. Lee's. Then, without warning, she pulled Dr. Lee up and punched her. She ran at Sam, screaming and shoved him into a glass cabinet. Adiana ducked behind a small table. She pulled open one of the drawer, searching for anything that could be used as a weapon. Grabbing a scalpel off the table, Mrs. Tanner lunged for Sam. Before she could cut him, he hit her over the head with a fire extinguisher. She fell unconscious to the floor. Adiana peered up from behind the table, a small pair of scissors in hand.

"I think it's safe to say she had the virus too." Sam nodded and put down the fire extinguisher. He looked Mrs. Tanner over.

"We should put her somewhere where she can't do any more damage."

"There's a storage room," said Dr. Lee. "Over there."

* * *

Adiana heard the rumble of the Impala. She hastened out of the examining room.

"Sammy! Open up!" Dean was at the door, and the dark-skinned man they had been talking to earlier was with them.

"Did you uh…" started Sam.

"Road block. I'm gonna have a word. Doc's inside." The man nodded and walked away. Adiana rocked on her heels, as Sam examined his brother.

"What's going on out there Dean?"

"Man, I don't know. I feel like Chuck Heston in The Omega Man. Sarge was the only sane person I could find. What are we dealing with? Do we know?"

"Yeah, the doctor thinks it's a virus."

"Great, a virus. What do you think?"

"I think she's right."

"Really?"

"Yeah, and I think that the infected are trying to infect others with blood to blood contact. Oh, but it gets better. This virus leaves traces of sulfur in the blood."

"A demonic virus?"

"Yeah, more like demonic germ warfare. At least it explains why I've been having visions."

"It's like a biblical plague."

"You don't know how right you are Dean. I've been pouring through Dad's journal. I found something about the Roanoke colony. Dad had a theory about Croatoan. He thought it was a demon's name, a demon of plague and pestilence."

"Well that's just great. But why here? Why now?"

"Wait, what's Croatoan?" interrupted Adiana, confused.

"It's a town of people that mysteriously disappeared a long time ago. All that was left was the word Croatoan carved on a tree. Earlier, we found it carved on a telephone pole. Look Dean, who knows how far this thing could spread. We got to get out of here, to warn people."

"They've got one! In here!" yelled the Sergeant, before Dean could reply. The trio hastened into the examining room.

"What do you mean?" asked Dean.

"The wife," Sam sighed. "She's infected."

"We got to get her. My neighbors were strong. The longer we wait, the stronger she'll get." The Sergeant had his gun pointed at the storage room door.

"You're going to kill Beverly Tanner?" shrieked Pam.

"Doctor, could there be any treatment? Any kind of cure for this?" Sam questioned. Dr. Lee bit her lip.

"Can you cure it?" asked Dean, who now also had his gun out.

"For God's sake, I don't even know what it is!" said Dr. Lee, frantically.

"It's only a matter of time before she breaks through," warned the Sergeant.

"Just leave her," pleaded Pam. "You can't just shoot her like some animal."

"Sam," said Dean, nodding at the door. With a resigned look, Sam crossed the room to the door. Taking a deep breath, he flung it open. Dean and the Sergeant charged in. Adiana could hear the woman's pleas. She shut her eyes and tried to block her ears. She didn't want to hear this. She'd always been a fan of 28 Days Later, but after this she'd never watch it again. The reality of it was too terrible. A loud gunshot interrupted her thoughts. Adiana opened her eyes. Dean walked out of the storage room, a blank expression on his face. He caught her gaze. Adiana held it for a moment, but those eyes were so… empty. She turned away.

* * *

There was a shriek. Sam, Dean and Adiana dropped the weapons they were looking over and rushed to the examining room. There were a few shattered vials leaking blood onto the floor.

"Is any of it on me? Am I okay?" asked Pam.

"You're clean," assured Dr. Lee.

"Why are we staying here? Please, let's just go."

"We can't. Those things are everywhere," said Dean.

"She's got a point. We've got to get out of here. Go to the Roadhouse. Warn somebody," hissed Sam.

"Yeah, Night of the Living Dead didn't exactly end pretty."

"Look, people up here are pretty good with rifles and there aren't many of us, so unless you got some explosives…" The Sergeant looked at the brothers.

"No," Sam stared at the rows of bottles on one of the shelves, "but we could make some."

"Hey let me in!" called a voice. There was a banging on the front door.

"It's Duane Tanner!" called the Sergeant.

Duane was let in, and he made a move to hug the Sergeant.

"Woah, woah," said Dean, holding him back. "Easy there chief. Give Duane a good once over Doc."

"Who are you?" inquired Duane.

"Never mind who I am," said Dean, leading Duane into the examination room. "Doc?"

"Yeah okay." Dr. Lee pulled on a pair of rubber gloves.

"Duane, where you been?" asked the Sergeant suspiciously.

"On a fishing trip up in Rosalyn," started Duane, sitting down on the examination table. "I came back and saw Roger McGill being dragged out of his house by people we know. They were cutting him up with knives. I ran. I've been hiding in the woods ever since. Has anybody seen my mom and dad?" Dean grimaced and glanced at Sam.

"Awkward." Dr. Lee noticed a slash in Duane's jeans. She moved them, and there was a long gash just below his knee.

"You're bleeding."

"Where'd you get that?" questioned the Sergeant. Duane shrugged.

"I was running. I must have tripped." Dean pulled out a handgun and pointed it at the boy.

"Get a rope and tie him up."

"Woah!" Duane got off the table and put his hands up.

"Sit down!"

"Sorry Duane, but he's right." The Sergeant returned with a long rope. "We gotta be careful." Duane sat back down.

"Careful about what?"

"Did they bleed on you?" demanded Dean.

"No, what the hell – no!"

"Doc, is there any way to know for sure? Any test?" asked Sam.

"I studied Beverly's blood," started Dr. Lee. Duane looked at her.

"Mom?" She didn't return his gaze.

"It took three hours before sulfur appeared in the blood, so there'd be no way of knowing. Not until after he turns."

"I gotta talk to you. Now," hissed Sam. Dean nodded and followed Sam out to the lobby. Adiana tagged behind, knowing what was coming. The door shut behind her.

"This is my vision Dean. It's happening," said Sam facing him.

"Yeah I figured."

"Dean, you can't kill him yet. We don't know for sure."

"Oh, I'm pretty damn sure. This guy shows up out of nowhere. He has a cut on his leg, and his whole family's been infected."

"We should keep him tied up, and we should wait and see." Adiana nodded in agreement.

"What? For him to Hulk-out and infect somebody else? No thanks, I can't take that." Dean tried to move around him, but Sam put a hand out. Dean frowned. "Look, I'm not happy about this, but it's a tough job and you know that."

"It's supposed to be tough, Dean. We're supposed to struggle with this. That's the whole point!"

"And what does that buy us?"

"A clear conscience for one!"

"It's too late for that."

"What the hell's happened to you?"

"What?"

"You might kill an innocent man and you don't even care. You don't act like yourself any more Dean. Hell, you're acting like one of those things out there."

"Don't say that," whispered Adiana, but no one could hear it. Dean wouldn't kill anyone in cold blood, but… Sam's visions always came true. Dean pushed past Sam and Adiana and walked through the door to the examining room. There was the sound of a lock clicking. Sam ran to the door and started pounding on it.

"Dean, open this door! Dean, damn it, don't do this! Dean!" Adiana came up behind Sam and added her voice.

"Dean, you don't have to do this! Dean! Dean!"

* * *

The trio sat in the lobby making explosives. The silence stretched, only interrupted by the pouring of alcohol or some other liquid into a row of bottles. Dr. Lee came to the doorway.

"It's been almost four hours and there's no traces of sulfur in his blood. I'd like to untie him, if that's all right." Sam looked at Dean, who said nothing.

"Sure, yeah." Dr. Lee left the doorway. Adiana watched Dean over the cloth she was shoving in one of the bottles.

"You know I'm going to ask you why," said Sam.

"Yeah, I know."

"Why?" Dean emptied the rest of the alcohol into a bottle.

"We need more alcohol." Sam sighed and got up from the table. He walked into the storage room to find the alcohol. Adiana heard the door click shut. Funny, why would Sam close the door? Then came the scream.

Adiana nearly knocked over the bottle she was holding. Dean was up in a minute and holding a gun. The Sergeant rushed out of the examining room. He banged on the locked door. Dean ran over and kicked it open. There were three shots and the sound of a body hitting the floor. Adiana hurried behind Dean. Pam lay on the floor with three bullet holes in her back. Sam lay next to her face up and breathing hard. Dean moved to help Sam up. The Sergeant held him back.

"Wait. She bled on him."

* * *

Sam sat on the table holding an ice pack to the cut on his chest. He looked broodingly down at the floor. Dean paced on the floor around him.

"Doc, check his wound again would you? Doctor!" Dr. Lee leaned next to Sam.

"Did her blood enter your wound?"

"What do you mean? Of course it did!" said the Sergeant furiously.

"We don't know that for sure," said Dean, glaring at the Sergeant.

"We can't take that chance. You know what we have to do!"

"Nobody is shooting my brother."

"He's not gonna be your brother much longer. You said that yourself," said Duane.

"No one is shooting anyone."

"You were going to shoot me."

"You just shut your pie hole or I still might!"

"Dean," interrupted Sam, "They're right. I'm infected. Just give me the gun and I'll do it myself."

"Forget it."

Sam shook his head. "Dean I'm not gonna become one of those things."

"We still have time."

"Time for what?" asked the Sergeant. "Look, I understand he's your brother, and I'm sorry. But I have to do this." He pulled out a gun.

"I'm gonna tell you this one time. You make a move on my brother and you'll be dead before you hit the floor. Do I make myself clear!"

"Then what are we supposed to do?" Dean reached into his pocket. He pulled out his keys and tossed then to the Sergeant.

"Get the hell out of here, that's what. Take my car. You have the explosives. You've got enough fire power to handle anything now."

"Dean, no. No." Sam stared imploringly at him. "Go with them. This is your only chance. Take Adiana and go." Dean smiled.

"Oh you're not going to get rid of me that easily."

"Sam's right. Come with us," insisted the Sergeant. Dean turned to the Sergeant and gave him a long look. The Sergeant sighed. "Alright. It's your funeral. Ms. Garrow?" Adiana shook her head.

"I can't leave them."

"Adiana, just-"

"No, Dean." The Sergeant and Duane left the room. Dr. Lee made her way to the door.

"I'm sorry. Thanks for everything marshals."

"Actually, we're not marshals," said Dean, matter-of-factly.

"Oh." Dr. Lee seemed unsure of what else to say. She turned and left the room. Dean shut the door behind her and locked it. He turned and gave Sam a small smile.

"I wish we had a deck of cards or a foosball table or something." Sam stared sadly at his brother.

"Dean, don't do this. Just get the hell out of here."

"No way."

"Give me my gun and leave," said Sam, blinking back tears.

"For the last time Sam, no." Sam threw his icepack on the floor.

"This is the dumbest thing you've ever done." Dean frowned thoughtfully.

"I don't know about that. That waitress in Tampa…" He shuddered.

"Dean, I'm sick. It's over for me." A tear ran down his cheek. "It doesn't have to be for you." Adiana wanted so badly to hug Sam. She hated to see him hurting like this and wished she could do something to comfort him, but she couldn't. He might turn.

"No?"

"No, you can keep going."

"Who says I want to?" The words hit Adiana like a hardball to the stomach. Surely, Dean hadn't just said that. At least, he couldn't mean it. Sam looked like he was feeling the same thing she was.

"What?" Dean sat down on an examining table, pulling out his gun.

"I'm tired Sam. I'm tired of this job, this life. This weight on my shoulders, man, I'm sick of it."

"So what, you're going to just give up? You're going to just lay down and die. Look, I know this stuff with Dad-"

"No, you've got it wrong. It's not about Dad. Well, part of it is sure but…"

"Then what is it Dean?"

"Wait," interrupted Adiana, breaking out of her initial shock. "That's it? You're giving up? What's happened to you? This isn't you Dean." Dean shrugged and avoided her eyes. Adiana floundered for a moment before continuing. "Dean… I'm not asking you to leave Sam here. I'm not asking you to go anywhere. But you can't go suicidal on me." She gestured to Sam as she walked closer to where Dean was sitting. "On us. You can't. Please Dean." She wrapped her arms around him, trying to console him, trying to make him see that there was still something worth living for. "I love you." Dean stood stiffly in her embrace for a moment then pushed her away. Adiana stood in the middle of the room, trembling in confusion.

"Look, Adiana. I'm not – you don't deserve this. Go with them. We'll be better off." He nodded at the door.

"Are you…" Adiana's voice wavered, "are you breaking up-" She couldn't even finished the sentence. Dean gazed down at the tiles by his feet, his voice soft but firm.

"It's for your own good. Being with me… it's only going to get you hurt. I should have stopped this before it started."

Adiana let out a small gasping sob before sinking to the floor. She covered her face with her hands, and let the tears fall silently down her face. This couldn't be happening. It was too sudden and too painful. Sam was going to die and Dean... Dean thought their relationship was just a mistake and even worse, he didn't want to live. Sam looked down at Adiana. He wanted to kneel beside her and hold her and tell her everything would be okay, but he was infected. And everything was not going to be okay. Instead, he stared at Dean hard, but his brother wouldn't meet his eyes. Then, the lobby door slammed open. Everyone looked up. Dr. Lee knocked on the door. Holding his handgun, Dean unlocked the door and opened it.

"You'd better come see this." Dean looked at his brother. They got up and followed Dr. Lee. Adiana lagged behind, staring with watery eyes at Dean. They walked out of the office. The town was deserted.

"They've all gone. Just vanished," said Dr. Lee.

"Let's go back inside," said the Sergeant. "See what happens."

"Oh my God, are you okay?" asked Dr. Lee, noticing Adiana's tears.

"Fine."

* * *

"Well, it's been five hours and your blood is still clean. I don't understand it, but I think you dodged a bullet," said Dr. Lee, looking into her microscope.

"But I was exposed. How could I not be infected?" asked Sam.

"I don't know. When you compare it with the Tanner samples… what the hell?"

"What?"

"There's no trace of the virus. No sulfur. Nothing. "

The Sergeant and Duane got into an old white truck and pulled away.

"What about him?" questioned Dean, tilting his head in Sam's direction.

"He's gonna be fine. No signs of infection." Dr. Lee smiled and walked back into her office. Sam and Dean stared at each other.

"Hey man," said Sam, "Don't look at me. I've got no clue."

"I swear I'm gonna lose sleep over this one. Why here? Why now? Where the hell did everybody go? It's not like they just freakin' melted."

"Why was I immune?"

"Yeah, that's a good question. You know, I'm already starting to feel like this is the one that got away."

* * *

Sam, Dean and Adiana leaned back against a fence overlooking a river. Adiana stared down into her bottle. She wasn't much of a drinker, but she wasn't feeling so great at the moment.

"So," started Sam, "last night… You want to tell me what the hell you were talking about?" Dean took a swig of his beer.

"What do ya mean?"

"What do I mean? I mean you said that you were tired of the job and it wasn't just because of Dad."

"Forget it."

"No, I can't. No way."

"Hey man, I thought we were both going to die. You can't hold that over me."

"No, no, no. You can't pull that crap with me man. You're talking."

"And what if I don't."

"Then, I guess I'll just have to keep asking you until you do."

"I don't know man, I just think we oughtta… go to the Grand Canyon."

"What?"

"Yeah, you know all of this driving back and forth across country and I've never been to the Grand Canyon. Or we can go to Hollywood, see if we can bang Lindsay Lohan."

"You're not making any sense."

"I just think we should take a break from all of this. Why do we have to get stuck with all of the responsibility, you know? Why can't we live life a little bit?"

"Well, I'm sorry if being with me is too much responsibility." Adiana got up off the fence and stalked back towards the Impala. Halfway there she circled around and said, "I still love you, you know that? I still care! I wish to God that I didn't!" She wheeled away and continued to the Impala, yanking open the door and sliding into the back seat.

"Dean, why are you doing all this? Look, you still care about her too, don't you?" Dean kicked a stone on the ground.

"Yeah."

"Then why Dean? Tell me what's going on." Dean turned away from Sam and began to walk down the path.

"No, no. Dean, you're my brother, so whatever load you're carrying. Let me help a little bit." Dean stopped and turned around.

"I can't. I promised."

"Who?"

"Dad."

"What are you talking about?"

"Right before Dad died he told me something, something about you."

"Dean, what? What did he tell you?"


	18. Hunted

**For the reviewers: stacylove, katsy, St0pSmackinMe07, wicked rose, Nelle07, Artemisdesari, MandyAckles, dinawen, NERD1144, Dragongrl58, DevilWearsJeans, Raconteur**

"Dean what? What did he tell you?"

"He said that he wanted me to watch out for you, take care of you."

"Dean, he told you that a million times."

"No, this time was different." Dean stared at the ground for a moment. "He said that I had to save you."

"Save me? From what?"

"I don't know. He just said that I had to save you, no matter what, and if I couldn't I'd have to…"

"You'd have to what?"

"I'd have to kill you." Dean looked up at his brother. "He said I might have to kill you Sammy."

"Kill me? What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"I don't know."

"He must have had some reason, right? I mean, did he know the Demon's plans for me? Am I supposed to go dark-side or something? What else did he say Dean?"

"Nothing, I swear."

"How could you not have told me this?"

"Because he's dead and he begged me not to."

"Who cares? Take some responsibility for yourself Dean. You had no right to keep this from me!"

"You think I wanted this, huh? I wish to God he'd never have opened his mouth. Then I wouldn't have to go around with this screaming in my head all day." Sam took a long drink from his beer, staring out over the river.

"We just gotta figure out what's going on then. What all this means."

"We do? I've been thinking about this. I think we should just lay low, you know. It would be safer. At least for a while. That way I could make sure-"

"What?" Sam glared at Dean. "That I don't turn evil, turn into some kind of killer?"

"I never said that."

"Jeez, you're not careful and you will have to waste me one day Dean."

"I never said that! Damn it Sam, this whole thing is spinning out of control! I mean, you're immune to some weirdo demon virus. I don't know what the hell any more. And you're pissed at me. I get it, that's fine. I deserve it. But we lay low until we figure out our next move okay?" Sam shook his head.

"Forget it."

"Sam, please man. Hey." Dean grabbed Sam's shoulder as he turned away. "Please. Just give me some time to think. I'm begging you, please. Please."

"Fine." Sam walked back to the Impala and slid into the back seat next to Adiana. Adiana shifted in her seat, anger temporarily forgotten by this surprising change of events.

"Uh… hey Sam. Are you okay?"

"Fine." Dean got into Impala. He started the engine, glancing in the mirror at Sam. His mouth was set in a deep frown. Adiana looked from Sam to Dean then back again. What the hell? Then it hit her, and that lingering flicker of fangirl took over.

"This is about the secret right? About what John said before he died? Man, I can't believe I missed it. I've been waiting forever to find out!"

"Wait, you knew about this?" asked Sam.

"Well, I knew he said something, but not what he said. Spill, the suspense has been killing me." Adiana glanced at the brothers' faces. Neither of them said anything. "I take it it's not good news."

"Apparently, Dean might have to kill me," said Sam quietly.

"What? No way! Impossible. You're a main character Sam. You won't die." Adiana nodded confidently. "You'll be fine."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence." A small grin tugged at the corners of Sam's mouth but it quickly dissipated.

* * *

_Adiana sat at a small table. She wasn't really sure why she was here or how she'd even gotten there. The room certainly wasn't interesting. The walls were white and bare, matching the floor. A small chandelier hung from the ceiling, casting dim light about the room. No, nothing particularly familiar or engaging about this room. So what was she doing here? A door hidden in the wall opened, and a tall thin man stepped through. He shut the door and seated himself across from Adiana. His bright yellow eyes met hers. _

_"Hello Adiana."_

"_You." Adiana tried to stand up and found she couldn't. Her mouth went dry. _

"_Our third little meeting, and still I haven't gotten a word out of you. I must admit you've been lucky so far. Still, I've found out most of what I want to know from other sources, but I've still got a few questions. Why did she send you?"_

"_What? Why did who send me?"_

"_I tire of your games. Now tell me why she sent you!"_

"_Wait, someone sent me here?"_ _The Demon looked deep into Adiana's eyes. Adiana felt cold all over. Those yellow eyes could see into her, reading her like an open book. Adiana wanted to pull her eyes away but couldn't. The Demon sat back._

_"You don't know."_

"_Know what? Look, who sent me here? I have a right to know!"_

"_Hmm, no matter. You're still of use to me." The Demon stood up and made for the door._

"_Hey. Hey!" With great effort Adiana leapt to her feet, which seemed to surprise the Demon. "Don't ignore me." She staggered forward. It felt as if weights had been attached to the bottom of her feet. "I want answers!" Suddenly, there was a sharp pain in her head. Adiana saw small lights flashing before her eyes. She fell to her knees, clutching the sides of her head. The Demon stared at her, a smug grin on his face. _

_"You're playing with fire girl. Don't tell me what to do."_ _The pain doubled and Adiana shrieked. Through the haze of pain, one clear thought occurred to her. Scream for help. You're asleep in your bed. Maybe, just maybe, your voice will carry back to your body, so she opened her mouth and screamed._

_"Dean! Dean! Help me!"_

_"Leave her," a female voice spoke._

Adiana sat up in bed, shaking and soaked in sweat. The pain in her head had become a dull throb. She felt a hand on her arm and nearly screamed. Then, she realized that it was Dean.

"Dean." She leaned into him, letting his warmth comfort her. "You heard me."

"I think the whole neighborhood heard you. What happened?"

"It was the Demon. He wanted to know why some person sent me here. I didn't know. I tried to get him to tell me who sent me here. He hurt me." Adiana felt Dean stiffen. "But then there was this voice and I woke up." Adiana glanced up into Dean's eyes. "I think that whoever sent me here just saved me." Dean said nothing. He looked down at Adiana frowning. This was the third time the Demon had come to Adiana. What was so important about her? Apparently, it was something about the person who sent her here, whoever that was. Adiana looked around the room.

"Where's Sam?" Dean looked too and then stood up. He hurried to the door and yanked it open. "Sammy?" There was no answer. The Impala was still there, but one of the parking spaces that had been occupied was empty. Dean hastened to the bureau and yanked open Sam's drawer. It too was empty. He pulled open his own drawer and began shoving things into his bag. Adiana watched apprehensively.

"Maybe Sam just went for a walk or something at…" She glanced at the clock and her voice lost its conviction. "…one o'clock in the morning. Okay, maybe not. I'll go sign us out." Dean gave a noncommittal grunt that Adiana took as a 'go ahead'. She got out of bed and walked out the door, not even bothering to switch out of her pajamas. Dean was blocking her drawer anyway.

Adiana sat in the front seat of the Impala. She stared tiredly at the road as Dean made frantic phone calls to Ellen, Bobby and a couple other hunters. No one knew where Sam was. Then again, Adiana doubted that Sam even knew where he was going. He probably was just trying to get away. She sighed. Poor Dean, he was worried out of his mind.

"Damn." Dean threw the cell on the seat beside him.

"No one knows where he is then?" It was a rhetorical question really.

"No."

"I'm sure he's fine." Dean said nothing. He frowned out at the road his hands tightening on the steering wheel. "Sam's a big boy, in more than one sense of the word. He can take care of himself." Adiana stifled a yawn. "Besides, he's bound to show up somewhere." Dean was still silent. Figuring that this is what the next couple of hours were going to been like, Adiana leaned back and shut her eyes. It was useless to have a one way conversation, and she was tired.

* * *

Adiana opened her eyes and blinked in the sunlight. How long was she asleep? Peering through the blinding light, Adiana looked out the car window. The Impala was moving down the streets of a small town.

"Morning." Adiana turned to Dean, stifling a yawn.

"You found where Sam was then?"

"Seems he stopped by the Roadhouse and had a little chat with Ellen."

"So where-" Adiana broke off as they pulled into a small motel with a neon sign reading 'Blue Rose Motel'. Dean stopped the Impala and looked through one of the sliding glass doors. Sam was leaning against the door.

"Thank God you're okay." Sam moved, revealing a young woman. "You're better than okay. Sam, you sly dog."

"What? What?" Adiana tried to see around Dean, but he was already pulling into a parking space just out of sight of the door. They were about to get out when a gunshot ripped through the air. Adiana saw the glass door of Sam's room shatter.

"Stay here," commanded Dean, before leaping out of the Impala. Adiana turned to see him race to one of the buildings behind them. There! The shooter was crouched on the top. As Adiana watched Dean climbed the ladder of the building. Another shot was fired, and then another. The shooter was lining up for a third shot when Dean leapt on him and began throwing punches. It seemed that Dean had to upper hand, but that was when the shooter hit him over the head with his gun. One more sharp rap over the head and Dean collapsed.

"No." Adiana was out of the Impala in an instant and sprinted to the building. She made it up the building in a few seconds flat. Her high school gym teacher would have been proud. The shooter was leaning over Dean. Adiana wished she had the sense to grab one of the guns out of the trunk of the Impala, but it was too late now. If she moved fast enough, she might be able to grab the gun on the ground.

Adiana hurtled toward the gun. She grabbed it just as the shooter turned around. She almost gasped in surprise. It was Gordon! My God, she didn't think he'd ever turn up again. Unfortunately, in the few seconds it had taken from this to run through her head, Gordon had ripped the gun out of her hands. With a quick panicked look around, Gordon swung the gun at Adiana's head. There was a burst of pain, then darkness.

* * *

"What the hell did you do to her?"

"Same thing I did to you."

"Then why isn't she awake?"

"I don't know."

Adiana faded in and out of consciousness.

* * *

"Yeah, I know this is a real funky town…

Monroe Street…"

* * *

"I'm not a killer Dean. I'm a hunter and your brother's fair game." There was the sound of a gun barrel snapping shut.

* * *

"This demon said I knew one of 'em. Our very own Sammy Winchester."

* * *

It sounded as if Dean was being gagged. His voice was muffled against something, but Gordon's was perfectly clear.

"But your dad if it came to it…"

* * *

Adiana dragged her eyes open. Her head was throbbing where it'd been hit. The room around her was old and trashed. She tried to move, but found she couldn't because her hands and legs were tied to the chair she was sitting in. Dean was in a chair not too far away, also bound. Unlike her however, he had a gag wrapped around his mouth. Gordon was staring through the shades of one of the windows. At the sound of movement, he turned around. "So, you're awake."

"Apparently." Gordon frowned at the sarcasm in her voice.

"Well, aren't you a little hellcat. What's your name?"

"Adiana Garrow."

"And what is a pretty thing such as yourself doing with people like this?" He gestured to Dean.

"I'm a hunter," said Adiana coldly. "And by 'people like this' I suppose you mean people better natured that yourself." Gordon laughed.

"You know, I like you. You got spunk." He came closer. "My name is-"

"Gordon, yeah I know. Guy with a grudge against vampires."

"My reputation proceeds me, unless… you're one of the psychics." Gordon reached for his gun. Adiana's scowl deepened

"Hardly." Gordon seemed skeptical, but he inched closer.

"I would know if you're evil. I can sense evil-"

"Wait, isn't that a quote from the Van Helsing movie?"

"I can taste evil-"

"I'm sure. Now could you back up please?" Adiana did not like the look that was in Gordon's eyes. It was calculating and oddly dead. He glanced over at Dean and there was something that sparked in those eyes. Something he was reading in Dean's expression. She had preferred the other expression to this one. It was making her very nervous. He grinned, and Adiana tilted her head slightly, trying to catch Dean's gaze from around Gordon's bulky form.

That's when Gordon leaned in and kissed her. It was cold and hard. Adiana tried to wriggle away, but she couldn't move. Dean let out a strangled sound that sounded like 'mgoonafckinklloo'. Adiana felt Gordon's hands on her chest and tried even harder to move. Not happening. She parted her lips slightly and bit down hard on his lower lip. Gordon hissed and straightened up. His hand instinctively flew out and slapped Adiana hard across the face.

"Bitch." He put a hand to his lip, blood smearing across his skin. He caught Dean's glare. "I'm sorry, that your girlfriend I'm messing with?" Adiana stared down at the floor feeling a tinge of triumph, but mostly just gross violation. Her cheek stung, the normally pale skin bright pink. If she managed to get out of these restraints, Gordon was in for a world of hurt. And not just from her. Dean stared at Gordon with fire in his eyes.

"Ooeavehrthfckaon."

"Sorry? Was that a yes? That's what I thought!" Gordon walked behind Adiana.

"What are you-" Then a gag was wrapped around her face. Adiana's eyes widened, and she yelled through the fabric.

"That's better. Now, I'm going to teach you what happens when you mess with the wrong guy. And you know what?" Gordon circled around so he was looking into her eyes. "Pretty thing like you, I think you'll like it. And hey, maybe your boyfriend here will enjoy the show." Dean had begun to rock his chair back and forth eyes fixed on Gordon. There was no way in hell he was going to let him do anything to her. If only he hadn't thrown that punch at Gordon after tying him to the chair, then maybe he wouldn't... No time to think about that now.

"Shhh," hissed Gordon suddenly. "Someone's coming up the driveway." Dean stopped rocking his chair. Gordon sat back down in his own chair by the window. He put a finger to his lips. As if they were going to be able to yell at Sam through these gags. There was a sound as the front porch creaked. A shadow fell across the window, then vanished. A few seconds later there was the sound of something scratching at the back door and the lock scraping against the door.

"You hear him?" asked Gordon quietly. The lock clicked and a door creaked open. It was quiet. Adiana held her breath. There was an explosion and Dean screamed through the gag. "One more. Not yet. Let's wait and see." Gordon stood up shotgun in hand. There was another explosion and wood splintered, littering the room. Dean began to make strangled sobbing sounds. Adiana's mind was reeling. Sam was a main character. He couldn't just die. No way.

"Sorry Dean." Gordon moved into the rubble. It was quiet for a few seconds, then…

"Drop the gun. Drop it now!" That was Sam's voice. The sound of a scuffle followed. A few minutes later, Sam stumbled in blood running down his face. He hurried to Dean and began undoing the cords. When he collapsed, Dean took over and pulled the rest off. He helped Sam up, then looked him over once.

"Son of a-" Dean started towards where Gordon undoubtedly lay.

"Dean, no."

"I let him live once. I'm not making the same mistake again."

"Believe me, Gordon's taken care of. Come on." Sam and Dean both helped to get Adiana's bindings off. She stood up and gave Sam a hug. "I knew Kripke wouldn't kill you off." She turned to Dean. "You okay?"

"Yeah, you?"

"Fine." They regarded each other silently for a moment before Adiana stepped forward and threw her arms around Dean. She felt his arms surround her, holding her tightly against his chest.

"No time now. Come on, let's go," said Sam in a slightly bemused tone, hurrying out the front door. Adiana and Dean walked out of the door behind him. They were halfway across the yard, when a bullet whizzed past their heads. Dean shoved Adiana in front of him as they broke into a run. "You call this taken care of?" he yelled at Sam. They rushed across the road and ducked into a ditch. Gordon was coming closer, firing more shots.

"What the hell are we doing?" asked Dean.

"Just trust me on this," said Sam. Just then, three cop cars pulled up. The policemen came out with their guns.

"Get down on your knees!" Dean, Sam, and Adiana watched in amusement as the police discovered Gordon's car and his weapons.

"Anonymous tip," hissed Sam.

"You're a fine upstanding citizen Sam." Dean grinned.

* * *

Adiana, Dean and Sam walked through the silent house. Adiana stared through the heavy darkness, flashlight in hand. They were looking for Ava, a women who had visions like Sam. She hadn't answered her phone and Sam had gotten worried.

"Anybody home?" called Sam. They entered the bedroom. Lying on the bed was a man. He was covered in blood, his throat slit. The blood was splattered all over the bed and the floor. "Oh my God." Adiana felt like she was going to be sick and looked anywhere but at the bed. Still she could smell that salty tang… and there was something else. Dean walked to the open window. He ran his hand along the edge. "Hey." He held up his hand. The tips of the fingers were coated in a yellow powder.

"Sulfur. Looks like the Demon's been here." Sam turned and glanced down by his feet. He knelt down and held up what looked like an engagement ring.

"Ava."


	19. The Winchesters Take A Vacation

**For my reviewers: Artemisdesari, Nelle07, St0pSmackinMe07, DevilWearsJeans, Chicki Babie, Annna92, NERD1144, Dragongrl58, MandyAckles, soccerwinchester07, Razorbackgal0225, WinchesterAngel3389, AnnabelleLee13194, S a i r a h i n i e l, Mwhahahaha18, Tavish, Padme4000, Elm Treigh & JustKillMe21. **

Adiana walked out of the bathroom, hair band in her mouth, pulling her hair up in a ponytail. All her belongings were already packed in her duffle bag. She had taken the liberty of packing the boys' stuff as well. Hopefully they wouldn't mind. They had been searching for Ava for two weeks now with nothing to show for it. They were all getting stressed out and starting to snap at one another. Adiana had decided that they needed a break. It'd just be for a day, so Sam wouldn't feel like they were giving up. It was time to clear their heads before going back to phone calls and scouring the internet. Adiana pulled her hair through the band, before moving over to the bed she shared with Dean. She clicked on the lamp and sat next to him.

"Dean." Dean didn't move. "Dean," she said again, gently shaking his shoulder. He sat bolt upright, almost knocking into Adiana as she pulled back. He looked at her in confusion for a second before his hunting instincts kicked it.

"Are you okay? What happened?" Sleep left his eyes immediately, replaced by sharp concern. Adiana felt almost bad for waking him. Sam was sitting up, rubbing his eyes.

"Nothing, I'm fine. But we have to get going," said Adiana with a grin. "I want to be there by opening time."

"Be where?" Dean asked.

"It's a surprise! Come on, I already packed. You can sleep in the car." Adiana stood up expectantly. Dean looked over at the clock.

"Babe, it's three thirty in the morning. I'm sure it can wait." He flopped back down, turning away from the light. Adiana frowned and looked at Sam, who was contemplating going back to sleep himself.

"Please Sam?" Adiana pleaded, figuring if he'd go Dean would have to follow. Sam thought for a moment, decided that Adiana was probably not going to give this up, then sighed and got out of bed to get dressed. Adiana beamed and turned back to Dean, who still showed no signs of getting up. "Dean, your brother and I are up already. You can sleep in the Impala... Dean?" Adiana heard the bathroom door click shut, and she looked over her shoulder to make sure Sam had gone in. She slipped under the covers, moving until she was right next to Dean. "Dean? Come on, I promise it'll be worth it," she said, gently stroking his shoulder. "Really... and if you don't think so… I'll make it worth it," she whispered in his ear. There was a pause before Dean answered.

"What does that mean exactly?"

"It means we'll be renting two rooms tonight instead of one," Adiana said, leaning back on the bed. Dean rolled over and looked at her. She turned her head to look back at him.

"Deal," he said finally, before leaning in to kiss her.

"Oh come on," said Sam, stepping out of the bathroom. "I was gone for a few minutes. Adiana, I thought you were in a hurry." He tossed his duffel onto the bed as Adiana sat up.

"I am! Now get dressed, you," she said to Dean, hopping out of bed. "I'll put my bag in the car. And yours, Sam." She grabbed the bags and headed out the door.

"Wait, the key-" started Dean, sitting up.

"-was in your pants pocket," finished Adiana, shutting the door. Dean shook his head and got out of bed, reaching into the duffel which Adiana had left on his side.

"You ready Sammy? I can't wait," said Dean with a smile, pulling on a pair of jeans. Sam watched him suspiciously.

"Do you know where we're going?" Sam asked.

"No. Why would I know?" questioned Dean, through the t-shirt he was putting on.

"Because you're suddenly really excited to go, that's why."

"Well, I've come to the realization that good things come to those who wait." Dean held up two flannel shirts, deciding on the blue one. "Besides, you should be excited too, Sammy. You get a room all to yourself tonight." Sam looked mildly disgusted.

"Dean, I understand that you both are consenting adults and you're going to …. you know. But I really don't want to hear about it. Anyway, why start getting a separate room now? You are not going to tell me that out of all the times I left you guys alone or came back early in the morning you never…"

"Nope. We haven't." Dean zipped up his duffel and picked it up. Sam was stunned.

"Really?"

"I thought you didn't want to hear about it?"

"No. I don't. I just – wow. You actually lo-" The motel door opened and Adiana poked her head in.

"Are you guys coming or what?"

"Yeah, we're coming," said Dean.

* * *

Dean's eyes flickered open. He felt stiff from sleeping in the Impala and one of his legs was asleep. He blinked in the sunlight, noticing a note on the dashboard.

_Wake me up at 7. Surprise! – A_

Dean looked down at Adiana, who was curled up on the seat leaning against him. He pulled out his cellphone to check the time: 7:05. Well, he could leave her a minute longer. A pack of running, yelling kids flew past the Impala. If she could manage to still sleep, that was. Dean watched the kids run through the parking lot and around poles that were topped with pictures of Mickey Mouse. Wait. Dean looked to his right. A pole was a couple of rows down. It had a picture of Donald Duck and proclaimed '3F'. He turned back to the windshield and squinted through the glare at a large sign, finally making out the words "Welcome to Disney's Magic Kingdom." Disney World. She had taken them to Disney World. He was surprised all right, but this gave him a great idea. He'd need Sam's laptop though. He shifted in the seat, trying to move as little as possible and still be able to look in the backseat.

Sam was curled up in the backseat, his knees pressed against the seat in front of him. Dean was surprised that he could fit at all. Last night, before going to sleep Sam had left his laptop out. There it was on the floor. Dean reached slowly and carefully. Adiana shifted, but didn't wake. His fingers brushed the cover of the laptop. He grimaced and reached farther down, grabbing it. He pulled it over the seat and turned it on. Okay, Username: SWinchester, Password: jEssiCa. The main screen popped up. Hopefully there was wifi. Yes, he was in business. Now. Dean searched until he had found what he had wanted. Once he was done, he placed it cautiously back on the floor. He slowly opened his side door, carefully moving Adiana so that she was resting on the seat. He shut the door quietly behind him.

* * *

Dean opened the driver side door of the Impala, looking in on Sam and Adiana who were still sleeping.

"Rise and shine kids!"

Sam sat up and looked around stretching his legs as much as he could. He noticed the sign out the window. "Is that Mickey Mouse?"

"Yup." Adiana yawned and sat up, stretching her back. She smiled at the brothers.

"Surprised?"

"Well yeah," said Sam. Adiana looked at her watch.

"It's already almost eight. We should get going before the lines start getting super long. I thought I left a note saying to wake me up?"

"What note?" asked Sam.

"I just got up," said Dean, nonchalantly. "Got out for a minute to stretch my legs."

"Alright, well," Adiana opened the glove box and pulled out an envelope. "I have the tickets, so let's go. And no bringing in any knives or anything, we'll have to go through security." The brothers looked at each other. Dean reached down and pulled a knife out of the back of his boot, and a swiss army knife out of his pocket and put them under the seat. Sam did the same.

The trio walked up to the gate and waited in a short line to get through the security check and then they were in, walking down Main Street USA. The park wasn't packed, after all it was during the week, but there were already quite a few people, mostly families.

"Okay," said Adiana, looking over a map of the park. "Where do you guys want to go first?"

"That symbol means food right?" asked Dean, pointing to a spot on the map. Adiana rolled her eyes.

"We can get food later. I meant 'which ride'. Sam?"

"Uhhh." Sam looked at the map. "How about Big Thunder Mountain Railroad?"

"Sounds good. Let's go this way then." Adiana pointed left, and the boys followed her through the packs of families.

"Adiana, question," started Sam. "Why Disney?"

"Well we've all been stressed about Ava so I figured we need a day off. I wanted to pick somewhere fun that none of us have been. I always begged my parents to take me to Disney when I was little but I never got to go. This was my chance. I know it's meant for kids but it's one of those places everyone's gotta see once, right?" Sam nodded.

"Yeah well, hopefully Ginormo here will fit on the rides. Actually with his size, maybe we can use him to scare off the children waiting in line," said Dean with a grin. Sam tried to hit him but Dean moved around to the other side of Adiana. Adiana shook her head.

"Dean, you're six foot one. You're pretty tall too."

"Yeah," said Sam.

"Wow Sam. That was some comeback," teased Dean.

"Okay guys, we're supposed to have fun today, remember?" Adiana looked from one to the other. "Play nice." Dean sighed guiltily at the ground.

"Yes Mom." Adiana wacked him lightly on the arm.

"You are impossible." Dean grinned.

"You know you love it."

"Yeah, yeah," Adiana said, but she couldn't help smiling. They reached Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and while there was a line, it wasn't too long. Adiana guessed maybe twenty-five minutes. "We should play twenty questions while we're waiting," she suggested.

"Sure," said Dean. "I'll go first."

"Sex," said Adiana and Sam at the same time. Dean frowned.

"No… okay maybe. You didn't give me time to think."

"We didn't need to give you time," said Sam. "I'll go next." He thought for a moment. "Okay, got it."

"Animal?" asked Adiana.

"Yup."

"Does it have fur?" questioned Dean.

"Yes."

"Does it have a tail?"

"Yes."

"Does it walk on two legs?" Adiana looked at Dean.

"What kind of a question is that? Nothing with fur and a tail walks on two legs."

"Nothing that you'd see in a zoo has fur and a tail and walks on two legs."

"No," said Sam.

"Okay, well, can you keep it as a pet?" questioned Adiana.

"Yup."

"Have we hunted it before?" Sam looked mildly horrified.

"God, no."

"Is it a puppy?"

"Yes, but specifically…" Dean shrugged.

"I don't know dogs. Um, a bulldog?"

"Nope."

"Golden lab!"

"You guessed it." Adiana smiled wide, while Dean frowned.

"You would pick something like a puppy."

"Aw, come on Dean, puppies are adorable," said Adiana. "I bet if we got a puppy you would love it more than anything. Besides, girls love puppies. Maybe we could…"

"No, absolutely not. No animals in my baby. They'd eat the upholstery or something."

"It was worth a shot. Okay, my turn…. Got it."

"Animal?" asked Dean.

"Nope."

"Vegetable?" inquired Sam.

"Nu uh."

"What's that other category….Mineral?"

"Nope."

"Okay, so other. Is it something you use at home?"

"Sometimes."

"Does it need batteries?"

"No."

"Do you use it on a daily basis?"

"Not usually, but it depends."

"Is it bigger than a car?"

"No. Except maybe a Smartcar."

"Is it expensive?"

"Yes."

"Can you get it at a furniture store?"

"Nope."

"Is it made of wood?"

"Mostly."

"Got it. It's a piano."

"Yup. Good job, Dean."

"Well that's…really random," laughed Sam. Dean shook his head.

"Not really. Adiana's been playing piano since she was five. Right?"

"That's right. I'm surprised you remembered."

"Despite what I look like I'm doing, I do actually listen when you talk." Adiana took his hand.

"I know. Okay it's your – oh, guess not, we're up." They took the car at the back of the track. Adiana and Dean sat in back and Sam in the seat in front of them. The roller coaster wasn't too fast, but it did have some sharp turns and Adiana held her hands up and screamed with all the children on the ride. Dean was grinning and held his hands up too. Sam winced as Adiana screamed behind him, but he was smiling too. When they all got off, they were laughing.

"I haven't had that much fun in a long time," said Dean.

"Yeah," added Sam. "I haven't been on one of those since that one in a town carnival when I was twelve."

"All right, well we still have a lot more to do! Splash Mountain is right over there. Let's do that next! Then we'll get some food."

The day went by so quickly, it almost seemed like a blur to Adiana. Time in line was spent on twenty questions, or just talking about this and that. They tried to do as many rides as they could. On the Splash Mountain log ride, Adiana sat in front at the insistence of the boys who didn't want to get that wet. A camera captured them as the log went over the edge. Adiana's eyes were wide with excitement, the water spraying up around her. Dean was holding onto her sides, looking like he was trying not to show how much he was panicking. Sam sat in the back, arms up, mouth caught mid "Woooo!" They had decided to get the picture. They grabbed hamburgers before moving on to Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin, where they were on a moving cart and had to shoot at targets. Dean got the highest score. So high, in fact, that the manager of the ride apologized for the scoreboard not working properly. Sam's score had been only ten points behind. Adiana's score was about half of Dean's, but she still felt she had done well. Then they went on the Space Mountain Rollercoaster, which they decided wasn't up to par with the hype it received. They decided to go on the Haunted Mansion ride next. They laughed their way through the ride.

"Seriously, when that lady screamed at that green ghost," Adiana giggled.

"Is this really what people think ghosts are like? Honestly, who comes up with this stuff?" laughed Sam.

They went on the Tea Cups, which Sam and Dean spun so hard that Adiana felt slightly nauseous afterwards. In fact, they all had to sit down on a bench for a few minutes because they were having trouble walking straight. They went on the Magic Carpets of Aladdin, which flew a good distance off the ground. Adiana and Dean sat in the back and let Sam control the carpet. Dean kept one arm around Adiana and kept looking straight ahead nervously.

"Dean, it's not a plane. We'll be okay. You could have said no," Adiana said.

"What? No, I'm fine."

"Uh huh." Adiana leaned against him, humming "A Whole New World". A few seconds later the carpets started lowering and Dean felt a rush of relief. They all drove go-carts on the Tommorowland Speedway, racing against each other. Adiana lucked out, getting the fastest car, and she sped past Sam and Dean, waving one hand as she went by, dodging a young boy who was weaving across the track. The sun had set by that time, and floodlights lit the speedway.

"So, what do you think, guys? Worth it?" Adiana asked as they walked back past Cinderella's castle. She ripped off a piece of the fried dough they were sharing and munched on it.

"It really was way more fun than I expected!" Sam said. "Thanks Adiana."

"I don't know," Dean frowned. Adiana raised an eyebrow. "Okay, you were right. It was worth it."

"See. I knew you'd have fun. I personally loved kicking your asses at the Speedway."

"That was fixed. Our cars were slower," complained Dean. "Well, at least mine was. Sam just sucks at driving."

"What? I do not! I'm not the one who almost crashed into that little girl."

"Hey, she almost crashed into me!" The boys argued their way to the monorail and Adiana let them. She was in a really good mood after today and was now ready to again face the daunting task of finding Ava. Their stop came and Adiana was about to step off when Dean held her back.

"Not yet."

"Dean, this is our stop," Sam said in confusion.

"Humor me." Adiana and Sam looked at each other, but decided to stay on the monorail. The doors clicked shut and the train began to move out and away from the park. Adiana eyed Dean, knowing somehow that he wasn't about to explain himself. In fact, he was looking away from her out the window. But where could they be going? Another park? It was already pretty late. Maybe he just liked the monorail ride. Doubtful. He didn't want to go back to a motel? Unlikely. Then what –

"This stop," said Dean as the monorail slowed. Adiana turned around and gasped. Out of the window was a giant white resort with red roofing. There were turrets and towers sticking out of the top, and it lay next to a spectacular lagoon. The three stepped off, Sam just as much in shock.

"Dude, when did you have the time to book this?"

"Well, I did a little research this morning-"

"Wait, you used my laptop?" Sam interrupted. "So you know my password?" Dean ignored him.

"-when I woke up and I just lucked out. We don't need to get the bags or anything, I took them here this morning while you two were still sleeping. Figured, if the rides were a bust, at least we could sleep in style for once." Adiana was practically bouncing.

"I can't believe it! Let's go." She grabbed Dean's hand excitedly, and they made their way down the steps. They walked past a large sign announcing "Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa" and a concierge opened the door for them to walk into the lobby. It was a large space with an opening up to the ceiling. The walls and pillars were white, with a bright silver chandelier. Victorian-looking sofas were scattered around a grand piano and small birds twittered about a yellow, multi-layer birdcage. Railings led up to multiple floors, each with a different design. Dean let Adiana and Sam just soak it in for a moment, knowing by the looks on their faces that he had picked a good place.

"The elevator's this way," he said finally. They walked to the elevator, Sam and Adiana still gawking at the beautiful interior. The elevator was gold with polished mirrors along the top. Dean pressed the buttons for floors 3 and 14. He handed Sam a key card. "Have fun, Sammy. Go get a facial or watch porn or something." The doors opened and Sam stepped off.

"So I'll see you two at breakfast?"

"Don't count on it," said Dean as the doors shut.

"You know," said Adiana, leaning against the elevator wall, "I believe our agreement this morning was conditional."

"Was it?"

"I believe I said that if it wasn't worth it, then I'd make it worth it. But you agreed it was worth it." Dean didn't answer as the doors to the elevator opened. Adiana stepped out into a small white room with a set of stairs leading up to an ornate wooden door.

"So, are we the only ones on this floor, or…."

"Here." Dean handed her a room key. She took it and walked up the steps to the door, Dean following just a step behind. She slid the card through the slot and the lock clicked. She pushed the door open and stepped into the room. There was a short hall with another ornate wooden door, which was undoubtedly the bathroom. Adiana walked down the hall into the bedroom itself. It was huge and octagonal in shape. There was a king-size four-poster bed with a white comforter covered in rose petals, facing a television on a large wooden bureau, where Dean had thrown their duffel bags. A glass table was on the side of one room with a champagne bottle resting in ice and a platter of chocolate covered stawberries. But Adiana hardly noticed all this because the walls of the room were all glass. The view spanned over the lagoon and, in the other direction, the Magic Kingdom could be seen, still lit up.

"Dean, this…this is…" Adiana couldn't find the words. There were no words really, but she felt him wrap his arms around her and knew he understood. She leaned back against him, looking out into the night, when a firework shot off. She had almost forgotten about the fireworks display. They stood there watching the colors light up the sky, and both felt in that moment that they needed nothing else and that all the monsters and demons didn't matter. They were able to just watch the lights and not worry about anything else.

"Adiana, you know if you don't want to do this, if you're not ready, that's okay," Dean said, once the fireworks were over.

"Dean." Adiana turned to look at him. "You've put up with me and all my craziness. You've done everything I've asked. You booked us this beautiful, I'm going to assume, honeymoon suite. As creepy as it may sound, I used to watch Supernatural and dream about this, but being here for real, it's so much more than I ever expected. You're gorgeous and funny and... and I trust you. I do want this. Really." Adiana's breath caught in her throat as he leaned down to kiss her fiercely, wrapping his strong arms around her thin frame. "Wait, wait." She put a hand on his chest before they went too far. "Give me five minutes."

Adiana ran to grab her duffel bag, leaving behind a smiling Dean. Once in the bathroom, she dug through her bag until she found the lingerie she had bought back in River Grove. She sorted through it quickly, deciding on a sheer and extremely short red nightgown. She pulled everything else off except her red lace panties and pulled the nightgown on. She looked in the mirror, adjusted it, combed her fingers through her hair and quickly brushed her teeth. She was a little nervous. It wasn't that she hadn't had sex before but Dean was a sex god, and she had no desire to disappoint him. Well, it wasn't worth it to worry. She kicked her clothes out of the way and left the bathroom. Her bare feet made no sound against the carpet as she padded down the hallway to the end, rounding the corner. Dean was waiting for her on the edge of the bed, already stripped down to his boxers. God really, how could anyone be that gorgeous? He stood up, eyeing her hungrily. She walked over to him adding a little bit of an extra swing in her hips.

"What do you think?" she asked with a seductive smile. She squealed as Dean scooped her up.

"Babe you look sexy as hell, but-" He set her down on the bed, "I think it's just going to get in the way."


	20. Playthings Part I

**Thanks to JustKillMe21 for reviewing and to everyone who read and favorited. **

_Adiana stood outside the door to a small house. The door was blue, nothing special, just your average everyday door. The doorbell right next to it was glowing light orange. She didn't know why, but she really wanted to go inside the house. She rang the doorbell and waited. No one answered. She pushed it again. Nothing. She decided to knock. No one came. Adiana looked back to the street. It was empty and quiet. With no one to stop her, she twisted the handle and the door opened. She stepped through the threshold, into an oak-paneled hallway._

_"Hello?" It was silent. She shut the door. Okay, now what? There were stairs leading up to the next level or she could walk down the hall. Adiana bit down on her lower lip and peered up the staircase, trying to decide, when she heard a sound coming from down the hall. She knew she was dreaming, but she'd become a bit more wary of her dreams since her encounters with the Demon. Now she felt pulled to the hallway and that made her even more nervous. She decided to go, but slowly. She walked past a living room, natural light filtering from the windows. It was quaint, paintings on the wall, green sofa and chair, a fire place. A fire place. Adiana slipped into the room and grabbed the fire poker. It wouldn't do any actual harm to the Demon, but it could give her a few seconds to scream for help. A shut door was a little farther down the hallway on the left. Adiana opened it. Just a bathroom. She continued to the end, stopping before the threshold of the kitchen. It was bright white, the tile and marbled counters polished. That noise again. A scraping sound, like a fork across a plate. Adiana put her back against the wall and tilted her head around the corner. _

_A woman sat at a kitchen table, her back to Adiana. She was thin and had shoulder-length brown hair. Adiana took a step into the kitchen, both hands holding the fire poker ready to swing at any sudden movement. _

_"Hello, Adiana." The woman had been waiting for her, and she gracefully got up out of the chair. She was stunning with a regal face baring bright blue eyes and full rose red lips. She wore a short cerulean dress and matching heels. In one hand she held a plate with a mostly eaten slice of vanilla cake, a piece of which rested on a fork in her other hand. Adiana recognized the voice instantly._

"_You. You saved me from the Demon." The woman smiled and raised her plate slightly._

"_Guilty."_

"_I've wanted to talk to you. Who…or what are you? Why did you bring me here? Did-" _

"_I'm not going to answer your questions 'Why?' is a question," she added when Adiana opened her mouth. The woman placed the fork delicately between her lips and ate the piece of cake. "In fact, I wasn't going to show myself to you at all, but I need to warn you. You've attracted attention and not the good kind."_

"_The Demon."_

"_Yes. He's interested in you. It's partially; well… it's mostly my fault. I don't know his exact plans for you, but I have some guesses, none of which are very pleasant. Now, I'm not going to come running to save you every time. It's tiring and not my responsibility. That man Darrow, he gave you a bag to ward demons away. You keep forgetting about it."Adiana twisted the fire poker in her hand guiltily. _

"_I know. I'll try and remember. Last night I was a little…distracted."_

"_Well, remember. The clock is ticking and you want to be here for all of it."_

"_All of what? What cl-"Adiana shrieked as the woman burst into flame. She backed up against the wall, staring as the woman's smiling face was consumed in white, hot fire._

Adiana gasped as her eyes opened. The sun had already risen and was shining through the windows, reflecting off the glass. The room was freezing, and Adiana shivered under the sheet. She rolled over and snuggled against Dean's bare chest. He was still sleeping, his breathing slow and regular. She tried to calm her own breathing to match it with his, but adrenaline was still pumping through her veins. Those flames. Adiana hoped the woman was alright. She had been smiling. Breathe in, breathe out. But what would the Demon want with her? Who was that woman? Be here for all of what? There were too many questions and no answers.

"Mornin' beautiful." Adiana looked up at Dean. She'd been so wrapped up in her thoughts that she hadn't noticed him waking up.

"Good morning." She kissed him, trying to forget about the dream or whatever it was. She didn't want to ruin this morning.

"You okay?" Dean asked, pushing a strand of hair back behind her ear.

"Yeah. I just had a bad dream. Not the Demon or anything," she assured him, when his face became more concerned. "It was just weird."

"Well, I was dreaming about last night."

"Oh were you?" Adiana gently pushed him back on the bed and crawled on top, her fingernails raking lightly across his skin. "In that case, you must be ready for part two."

"Isn't it more like part four?" Dean remarked with a grin.

* * *

"I just wonder, you know? I mean no one's heard anything about Ava. I'm beginning to think… I mean not that I'd ever say it to Sam but she might not be…" Adiana stopped talking and downed the rest of her coffee as she walked with Dean across the parking lot.

"Alive," finished Dean. "Yeah, I know. But it's Sammy. He's out to save the world. We'll keep trying." He took a key out of his pocket and opened the motel room. It had been one and a half weeks since they had left the Grand Floridian Resort. One and a half weeks of more searching for Ava, still with no result. The walls of the motel were a testament to their search, littered with papers including a missing person ad for 'Ava Wilson'. Sam was listening intently to the phone, nodding along.

"Yeah. Okay thanks, Ellen." Sam hung up as Dean shut the front door.

"What'd she have to say?"

"She's got nothing. Me, I've been checking every database I could think of: federal, state and local. No one's heard anything about Ava. She just…" Sam shook his head. "…into thin air, you know? What about you?"

"No, same as before. Sorry, man."

"Same here," Adiana sighed, sitting on the edge of a bed. "Sorry."

"Yeah." That was about what Sam had expected. "Ellen did have one thing."

"Hmmm?" Dean through a questioning glance over his coffee.

"A hotel in Cornwall, Connecticut. Two freak accidents in the past three weeks."

"Yeah, what's that have to do with Ava?"

"It's a job." Sam shrugged. "I mean, a lady drowned in the bathtub. Then a few days ago, guy falls down the stairs, head turns a complete one-eighty, which isn't exactly normal, you know? Look, I don't know, Dean, it might be nothing. But I told Ellen we'd think about checking it out." Adiana was astounded. She'd had to sneak them away to Disney and now Sam was considering a job? Dean was just as amazed.

"You did?"

"Yeah. You seem surprised."

"Well, it's just not the patented Sam Winchester way, is it?"

"And what way is that?"

"I just figured after Ava, there'd be more angst-"

"Less talking," interjected Adiana.

"Droopy music."

"Crying."

"Staring out the rainy windows."

"The puppy-dog look, but permanent." Sam looked from Dean to Adiana as if they were crazy.

"Okay, I'll shut up now," Dean relented.

"Look," started Sam, "I'm the one who told her to go back home. Now, her fiancé's dead, and some demon has taken her off to God-knows-where, you know? We've been looking for a month now. We've got nothing. So I'm not giving up on her, but I'm not gonna let other people die either. We've gotta save as many people as we can."

"Wow," laughed Dean. "That attitude is just way too healthy for me. I'm officially uncomfortable now. Thank you." Sam and Adiana looked at each other and laughed. "All right, call Ellen. Tell her we'll take it."

* * *

Adiana gazed up at the inn as Dean pulled into the driveway. It was large and old-fashioned, a Victorian mansion of sorts. The large windows were dark and reflected the outside light at odd angles. It was exactly the sort of building that looked like it would be haunted. The abandoned playground across the street wasn't helping either. Adiana didn't know if she'd be able to sleep at all in this place.

"Dude, this is sweet! We never get to work jobs like this," Dean said excitedly.

"Like what?" asked Sam.

"Old-school haunted houses, you know? Fog, secret passageways, sissy British accents. We might even run into Fred and Daphne while we're inside." He chucked as he got out of the Impala. "Mmm, Daphne. Love her." Adiana started humming the Scooby-Doo theme song as the trio walked up the steps. Sam stopped and looked hard at an urn next to the door. It was battered and dark, and it had a symbol with five connected dots carved on the surface.

"Hey, wait a sec." Adiana and Dean stopped. "I'm not so sure 'haunted' is the problem."

"What do you mean?" questioned Dean. Sam pointed to the symbol on the urn.

"You see this pattern here? That's a quincunx. It's a five-spot."

"A five-spot?"

"Yeah."

"Jinkies," said Adiana. The boys looked at her. She shrugged. "Sorry, I have Scooby-Doo on the brain now. Just ignore me."

"Usually do," muttered Dean with a wink. Adiana pouted in mock offense. Dean grinned before kissing her on the forehead, "Just kidding babe."

"No, uh-uh. I'm mad at you now," protested Adiana, but half of her mouth had curled up into a smile.

"Oh, you're mad at me?" asked Dean slowly. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. She lightly traced her fingers from his hands which had captured her up his arms.

"Yup," breathed Adiana, her heart fluttering slightly. Dean leaned in until their mouths were almost touching. She caught his eyes, the light hitting them in a way that made them appear almost gold. Although he was breathtakingly handsome, it wasn't that which pleased her the most. Rather it was the way he gazed back at her. It was a look that managed to seem gentle and hungry at the same time.

"Well then, I guess I'd better fix that." Adiana got out only a hum of agreement as Dean's lips met hers.

"Guys!" Sam huffed. "Really? We're working a case." Adiana broke the kiss reluctantly, landing back down on her heels, but keeping where she was. Right, they had a job to do. Dean picked up unperturbed, right where he had left off.

"That's used for hoodoo spellwork, isn't it?" he continued. Sam continued to stare disapprovingly at them in silence. Adiana slowly leaned her head against Dean's chest and smiled at him. Sam rolled his eyes.

"It's like living with hormonal teenagers… but right. You fill this thing with bloodweed, you've got a powerful charm to ward off enemies."

"Yeah, except I don't see any bloodweed," observed Dean, his eyes darting around the urn. "Don't you think this place is a little too white-meat for hoodoo?"

"Maybe." Sam opened the door of the hotel thoughtfully. Dean caught the door before it swung shut and he gave Adiana's hip a light squeeze before nudging her through. Once in the entranceway, Adiana had to swivel her head just to take everything in. This place was huge. The wood paneling rose up the walls, with all forms of antique-looking pictures scattered about. She thought that she saw a picture she recognized and curiously made her way over. Nope, just some old guests of the inn.

"May I help you?" a woman asked. Adiana shifted her gaze, but the owner of the voice was blocked by Sam and Dean who were at the check-in desk. Well, they didn't need her for that. She moved to the next picture on the wall, a bride and groom on the once well cultivated front law.

"Hi, yeah," greeted Dean. "I'd like a room for a couple of nights." The sound of laughter peeled through the room, and a moment later a little blonde girl ran around the corner. Adiana moved out of the way; the girl nearly brushing against her leg as she rushed past. The girl rocketed unsteadily forward and bumped into Sam. Too caught up in her game, she continued her race through the room and out a side door.

"Hey!" the woman called after the girl with a scolding tone that only a mother quite manages to get right. "Sorry about that," she apologized.

"No problem," assured Sam.

"Well, congratulations. You could be some of our final guests."

"That sounds vaguely ominous," said Dean.

"No, I'm sorry. I mean, we're closing at the end of the month. Let me guess, you guys are here antiquing?"

"How'd you know?"

"Oh, you just look the type." Adiana stopped next to the empty entrance to one of the hallways. It was nearly pitch-black and very creepy. She felt a chill ripple up her spine and took a breath. Haunted houses had always seemed so much less frightening on television. Go figure. She'd have to get used to going into scary places sooner or later. Hopefully sooner. "So, uh…king-sized bed?" That got Adiana's attention.

"What?" Sam spluttered. "No, no, uh…no, two singles. We're just brothers." Adiana cut across to the desk, popping up beside Dean. The corners of her mouth twitched as she suppressed the urge to laugh, but she couldn't help a smile from spreading across her lips. The owner took Adiana in. She must have had her daughter young, for she couldn't be much past thirty, but she did have a weariness that settled around her eyes and the curve of her back.

"Two queens would be nice if you've got it," Adiana suggested politely.

"Oh…oh, I'm so sorry," The woman blushed. "Yes we do." Dean leaned forward against the desk.

"What'd you mean, that we look the type?" The woman appeared even more flustered and was definitely at a loss for words, eyes darting nervously about the desk in front of her as if it might have an answer. Adiana felt bad for her. Two guys traveling together, well, she would have thought the same thing. Sam rescued the woman.

"You know, speaking of antiques, you have a really interesting urn on the front porch. Where did you get that?"

"You know, I have no idea. It's been there forever. Here you go, Mr. Mahogoff." The woman handed Dean a key and rung the bell on the desk. "You'll be staying in Room 237." Adiana turned slightly pale, as any avid Stephen King fan rightly would. She hoped their night wasn't going to be anything like _The Shining_. The boys apparently had no such qualms.

"Okay." Dean pushed off the desk, straightening up just as an older man entered. He was well-dressed, and he smiled formally but genuinely at the group.

"Sherwin, could you show these guests to their rooms?" the woman asked.

"Let me guess, antiquers?" Adiana felt Dean stiffen, and she took his hand.

"Come on." She took a step forward. "Let's get the luggage."

They started out the door and Sherwin waited for them at the entrance. Dean opened the trunk, and Adiana went to grab her bag. As usual, he took it before she could, leaving her feeling guilty. Despite the fact that the brothers had weapons in their bags and had been on the road a lot longer, she knew hers was heavier. One day she was going to sit down and sort out what she really needed… which let's face it wasn't going to change much. There was an awkward moment when Sherwin insisted on carrying the bags. He seemed too old and frail to be carrying much of anything, but they'd relented. Sherwin took Dean and Adiana's bags, while Sam carried his own. Of course, they hadn't anticipated that he was going to drag their duffels along the ground. Adiana flinched each time the bags thudded against a step, expecting something to break or for a gun to go off. Dean cringed as if he were in physical pain.

"I can give you a hand with those bags," he insisted after several particularly loud bangs on the staircase.

"I've got it," Sherwin assured.

"Okay."

"So, the hotel's closing up, huh?" asked Sam.

"Yep. Susan tried to make a go of it, but the guests just don't come like they used to. Still, it's a damn shame."

"Oh, yeah?"

"It may not look it anymore, but this place was a palace. Two different vice presidents laid their heads on our pillows. My parents worked here. I practically grew up here… I'm gonna miss it. Here's your room." Adiana felt an unpleasant clench in her gut as the numbers on the door floated in front of her. She quickly shuffled past and grabbed her duffel bag, which Sherwin had dropped and placed it on one of the beds. Sherwin remained in the doorway, expectantly holding his hand out. "You're not gonna cheap out on me, are you, boy?" Dean reluctantly dug out his wallet and handed Sherwin some bills before shutting the door on his back.

"That was unbelievable."

"Give the guy a break, Dean. This is probably his last chance to make money before retirement," said Sam, sitting on a chair and pulling a stack of papers out of his duffel bag. Adiana let herself fall back against the bed. It was soft and she sunk into the mattress, white covers bubbling up around her. Dean gave the room a once over, stopping to stare at a long white dress hanging above the bed Adiana was sprawled on.

"What the…?" Sam let his hand fall to his lap and the papers with it.

"What?" Dean pointed to the dress.

"That's normal. Why the hell would anyone stay here? I'm amazed they kept in business this long." Dean sat down on a chair, nearly falling backwards as it sunk farther than he expected. Adiana rolled over onto her stomach, sighing into the thick blanket. Well, the sheets did smell nice. That was something at least.

"Alright," started Sam, coming back to the papers. "Victim number one: Joan Edison, forty-three years old, a realtor, handling the sale of the hotel. And victim number two was Larry Williams, moving some stuff out to Goodwill."

"Well, there's a connection. They're both tied up in shutting the place down."

"Yeah. Maybe someone here doesn't wanna leave and they're using hoodoo to fight back."

"Who do you think the witch doctor is? That Susan lady?"

"That doesn't seem likely. I mean, she's the one selling."

"So, what then? Sherwin?" Sam frowned.

"I don't know."

"Of course, the most troubling question is: why do these people assume we're gay?"

"Well, you are kind of butch. They probably think you're overcompensating." Dean folded his arms and forced a smile.

"Right." Adiana propped her head up on her elbow.

"And you are two guys who looked like you're traveling alone together and have a deep bond that anyone can recognize. Yeah it's because you're brothers, but you don't exactly look alike so… I mean, hate to break it to you, but there are a lot of people who support wincest." The Winchesters stared at her.

"Wincest?" questioned Sam finally. Adiana grimaced and dropped back down onto the mattress.

"Uhhhhh…. Don't worry about it. Forget I mentioned anything. Shouldn't we be scoping this place out or something?" Dean considered pushing the matter but decided against it. He'd rather not know.

"Yeah, probably." Sam put the papers on a table and the trio walked out into the hallway. It was quiet and the narrow hallway seemed to stretch out forever. The eyes of the people in the pictures that lined the walls seemed to follow them as they walked. Adiana moved instinctually closer to Dean. This place really was creepy as hell.

"Hey." Sam picked up a small plaster vase and tilted it. The quincunx design was carved on the inner lip of the vase "Look at that. More hoodoo." Dean and Adiana eyed the vase pensively until another thing caught his interest. A nearby door was marked 'PRIVATE' in bold lettering. He knocked sharply on the wood. Sam checked to see if anyone was coming down the hallway before moving up next to him. The door opened and Susan looked out at them, fingers curling cautiously around the doorframe at the sight of Dean in front of her.

"Hi there."

"Hi," returned Susan with some confusion. "Everything okay with your room?"

"Oh, yeah. Yeah."

"Yeah, yeah," agreed Sam simultaneously. "Everything's great."

"Fine."

"It's lovely," added Adiana.

"Good." There was an uncomfortable pause before Susan continued. "Well, I was just in the middle of packing, so…"

"Hey, are those antique dolls?" asked Dean, noticing the large collection of dolls sitting on white shelves on one side of the room. Sam wanted to contribute, but had no idea where Dean was going.

"Oh…" Dean kept talking.

"Cause this one here," he nodded at Sam, "he's got a major doll collection back home." Adiana snorted with laughter and tried to cover it behind her hand. Sam glared at Dean. "Don't you? Huh?"

"Big time," said Sam reluctantly after a moment. Dean smiled widely.

"Big time. You think he could… well, we could come in and take a look?" Susan wasn't convinced.

"I don't know."

"Please?" begged Dean. "I mean, he loves them. He's not gonna tell you this, but he's always dressing them up in these little, tiny outfits-"

"Setting up tea parties," added Adiana.

"And you'd make his day." Dean elbowed Sam for support. "She would, huh? Huh?" Sam's face had gone completely blank.

"It's true." Susan hesitated but decided there could be no harm really.

"Okay. Come on in."

"All right. All right!" Dean gripped Sam's shoulder as Sam turned back to him and glowered. He'd figure out a way to get back at his brother later. They entered the room, a large light blue space with dolls on the shelves, on the sofa and in toy strollers. In fact, there were dolls on mostly every surface of the room. "Wow. This is a lot of dolls. Nice, you know, not super-creepy at all." Adiana picked up a china doll in a red dress. It stared at her with shiny glass eyes. She tilted it in her hands, and the eyes blinked. With an unsteady hand, she placed it carefully back on the shelf. Susan laughed.

"Yeah, I suppose they are a little creepy. But they've been in the family forever. A lot of sentimental value." Sam perused around a dollhouse set up in the center of the room. It was fairly large and familiar looking.

"What is this? The hotel?" Susan bobbed her head.

"Yeah, that's right. Exact replica, custom-built." Sam nodded and leaned in close, noticing a doll in a sailor-like costume. He picked it up, holding it just above the dollhouse.

"His head got twisted around. What happened to it?"

"Tyler, probably." The little girl who had run into Sam earlier entered the room as if on cue, a pout dampening her earlier excitement. Tyler meandered sadly over to her mother.

"Mommy, Maggie's being mean."

"Tyler, tell her I said to be nice, okay?"

"Hey, Tyler." Sam approached Tyler holding out her doll. "I see you broke your doll. You want me to fix it?"

"I didn't break it," said Tyler, matter-of-factly. "I found it like that."

"Oh. Well… maybe Maggie did it."

"No, neither of us did it! Grandma would get mad if we broke them." Adiana stared at the doll with the twisted head. Great. As if dolls weren't scary enough when they were normal.

"Tyler, she wouldn't get mad." Susan stroked her daughter's hair. Dean took a step closer to Tyler.

"Grandma?"

"Grandma Rose." Tyler turned her wide eyes on Dean with an indignant expression, as if everyone knew this. "These were all her toys."

"Oh, really…where's Grandma Rose now?"

"Up in her room."

"You know," began Sam, setting down the doll, "I'd really love to talk to Rose about her incredible doll-"

"No! I mean…I'm afraid that's impossible," Susan insisted. "My mother's been very sick, and she's not taking any visitors." Tyler crane her neck up at her mother and then leveled her eyes back to Adiana. Her expression was blank. Like the dolls. Kids and dolls. Adiana drummed her fingers nervously on a table. This whole place was just a textbook horror fest.

"Well, thanks for letting us look at the dolls," Adiana said with a forced smile. "I guess we'll get going."

"Uh, yeah thanks," Dean added, opening the door. Sam nodded.

"It was really… great." They left the room, Sam shutting the door behind them. Dean spun around the second the latch clicked.

"Well, what do you think? Dolls, hoodoo, mysterious shut-in grandma."

"Well, dolls are used in all kinds of voodoo and hoodoo, like curses and binding spells and..."

"Yeah, maybe we've found our witch doctor. I'll go see what I can dig up on Booming Granny. You get online, check old obits, freak accidents, that sort of thing. See if she's whacked anybody before."

"Right."

"And don't go surfing porn, that's not the kind of whacking I mean." Sam frowned.

"Come on Sam, I'll help you," decided Adiana. The two walked back to their room. Adiana took the chair Dean had sat on earlier, half-falling into the seat and Sam resumed sitting in his chair. Adiana dug around in her bag and grabbed the laptop Sam had gotten for her.

"I'll check obits if you want to look at possible accidents for this hotel."

"Sounds good." The two threw out random tidbits of information they found but soon descended into silence as they got deeper and deeper into their research. Adiana began with the most recent obituaries in the area and started working her way backwards. Car accidents. Heart attacks. Natural causes. By 1968, they were all beginning to run together except for the occasional oddball case. The sky outside was darkening to a thick black. Adiana rubbed her eyes, sore from the glow of her computer screen.

"Find anything?"

"Nope. This place is clean. You'd think with a hotel this old-" Sam was cut off by a woman's scream. He jumped up. "Stay here."

"Okay," Adiana squeaked as Sam shut his laptop and left the room. Adiana waited in the dark, face illuminated by the laptop screen. She hoped someone else hadn't died. She also hoped whatever was killing people wouldn't come after her while she was alone in the dark. It probably wouldn't since she had nothing to do with the selling of this hotel, but still…Nerve-wracking minutes passed by, and she reached over the arm of her chair and sifted through her clothing. Now where was… ah. From between piles of clothing, she withdrew a canister of rock salt. Granted, it would only work if this was a ghost, but it was better than being defenseless. Oh, and she could turn on the lights. Right. She was about to get up when Sam wandered back into the room, not bothering to shut the door. "There you are. What happened?"

"A guy hung himself," Sam informed her listlessly.

"Oh my god." That was about all that Adiana could get out before she ventured further. "Did Susan…"

"She called an ambulance. She's pretty shaken up, but she's with Sherwin and her daughter." Sam came to a halt in front of the bottles of whiskey, tequila and rum lined up on a table and poured himself a glass of whiskey. He drank half of it in a few gulps.

"Uh…. Sam. Are you okay?" asked Adiana with concern. Sam stared down at his glass.

"Awesome."

"Alright, well I know you're not okay, but… do you want to talk or something? I'm a good listener."

"Nope." Sam drank down the rest of the glass. He squinted down at another bottle and poured a good amount into his glass. Adiana watched the liquid steal up the sides of the glass and took in Sam's face as he downed it all. It was hard, but something else too. Sad. She got up and moved over to him.

"That's kind of a lot of mixed alcohol all at once, Sam." He shrugged and drank from his glass. She put a hand on his arm. "You know you couldn't have done anything to save him, right?"

"Maybe." He took another half glass of tequila and set the glass on the table.

"Sam, stop. You can't save the world. This guy's death, it's not your fault. And I know that you feel like no one understands you, and hell maybe no one does, but Dean and I… we're trying." She held onto his upper arms with both hands and shook him a little. "We are. But you have to help yourself and realize that sometimes things happen that you can't control, alright?" Sam didn't reply and wouldn't look her in the eye either. He just kept staring over her shoulder. She sighed and hugged him, feeling like there was nothing else she could really do. She felt Sam wrap his arms around her, albeit very loosely. Maybe she'd gotten through to him a little. That would be something at least.

* * *

Later, sirens sounded in the distance, signaling the coming of cop cars and an ambulance. The sirens stopped a few minutes later and the sound of voices downstairs could be heard. Sam and Adiana let go of each other, and he walked to the window, watching until uniformed paramedics carried out a body under a tarp. Dean had just gotten back and was talking to Susan. Sam half sat, half fell back down in his chair. Adiana watched him for a moment and wondered if she should turn on a light or something now. She decided not to bother and paced the floor of the room until Dean bounded in, shutting the door and pocketing the key.

"There's been another one. Some guy just hung himself in his room."

"Yeah. I saw," said Sam in a monotone.

"We've gotta figure this out and fast." Dean opened his duffel bag, checking that a shotgun was loaded. "What'd you find out about Granny?"

"Well," began Adiana, "We didn't-"

"You're bossy," said Sam. Dean turned to look at him and Adiana peered apprehensively around his shoulder.

"What?"

"You're bossy. And short," Sam laughed. Dean glanced at the table with the open bottles of whiskey and tequila.

"Are you drunk?"

"Yeah." Sam held out his arms. "So? … Stupid."

"Dude, what are you thinking? We're working a case. Didn't you try and stop him?" Dean turned to Adiana, who looked at him in disbelief.

"Oh yeah, little five-foot-seven me was going to stop Sam."

"That guy who hung himself." Sam began to tear up. "I couldn't save him." Adiana sighed. Maybe she hadn't helped after all. Dean turned his attention back to his brother.

"What are you talking about? You didn't know. You couldn't have done anything."

"That's an excuse, Dean. I should've found a way to save him. I should've saved Ava, too."

"Yeah, well, you can't save everyone. Even you said that."

"Yeah, Sammy. You're not responsible for everyone," added Adiana.

"No." Sam slammed his hand down on the chair. "You don't understand, alright? The more people I save, the more I can change."

"Change what?"

"My destiny, Dean!" said Sam putting his hands to his chest. Dean shifted his jaw and took a deep breath.

"Alright, time for bed. Come on, Sasquatch." He helped Sam out of the chair, dragging him towards a bed.

"I need you to watch out for me."

"Yeah. I always do." Sam pushed out of Dean's grasp and whirled unsteadily around.

"No, no, no. You have to _watch out_ for me, all right?" Dean tried to look away but Sam caught his gaze. "And if I ever turn into something that I'm not…you have to kill me." Adiana felt her stomach clench. She didn't want to watch this, wished she was somewhere else. Dean couldn't handle this right now, his face titled at the floor instead.

"Sam."

"Dean." Sam grabbed him. "Dad told you to do it. You have to." Dean looked his brother in the eye.

"Yeah, well, Dad's an ass. He never should've said anything. I mean, you don't do that. You don't lay that kind of crap on your kids."

"No, he was right to say it. Who knows what I might become?" Sam threw his arms out. "Even now, everyone around me dies!"

"Well, I'm not dying, okay? And neither is Adiana. And neither are you. Come on." He took Sam's arms and pushed him so he was sitting on the bed. He tried to pull away but Sam grabbed his shoulders.

"No, please. Dean, you're the only one who can do it. Promise."

"Don't ask that of me."

"Dean, please. You have to promise me," Sam pleaded, refusing to let go as Dean tried again to shift out of his grasp. Adiana hated the unfairness of the situation. Sam and Dean, they went through at lot. Neither of them deserved this, to live like this. And Dean could never –

"I promise."

"Thanks." Sam grabbed Dean's face in his hands, eyes still full of tears. "Thank you."

"Alright." Dean pushed him away and back down on the bed. Sam looked at him a minute longer before rolling onto his stomach and moving his hands underneath the pillow. Dean ran a hand over his face. Adiana walked up behind him and took one of his hands. He looked up at her, and seeing the pain in his eyes, her heart broke for him.

"Come on." She tugged gently on his hand, and Dean got up following her out the door. She shut it and lead him two rooms over, pushing open a door that she had noticed was open when they had walked by earlier. Dean shut the door behind them and they sat on a queen sized bed, still holding hands. Dean's grip on her hand was tight, and she could feel him shaking slightly.

"Dean, I-" Dean cut her off with a rough kiss. It was almost desperate, as if them together was the only thing that he could count on. And maybe it was. She enfolded him in her arms, trying to comfort him. But though Dean wanted to hide from his feelings, wanted to think about anything else other than what had just happened, Adiana felt like she had to say something. She pulled back slightly, still resting in his arms but with enough room that she could fully see his face and tell that he was still hurting. "Dean, I need to-"

"Adiana, if it's fine with you, I'd rather not talk about it."

"Look, I know you hate talking, and I can't imagine what it's like to have to deal with something like this, but I have to tell you that you're right. Your dad was a dick. You don't deserve to have this on your shoulders. And I know you're worried about Sam, but he won't even remember what you promised in the morning, Dean. I hate that you and Sam are hurting like this. And I wish I could do something to help, but I know that there's nothing I can do." Adiana began to choke on her words. She didn't want to cry. Dean already had enough to deal with goddammit. She wouldn't cry. "And you don't have to share how you feel with me Dean, but just know that I'm here whenever you need me, okay? I love you." She pulled him tightly against her, and she felt him tighten his grip around her in return. They sat like that for several minutes, not moving, just trying to sort through what they were feeling.

"Adiana," said Dean at last.

"Yeah?"

"I'll be your dream. I'll be your wish. I'll be your fantasy," Dean sang with a small smile. Adiana leaned back and raised an eyebrow. "What? I thought this Hallmark moment needed some background music."


	21. Playthings Part II

**For my reviewers: chase83, megsjedi, JustKillMe21, Wicked Rose06. **

Dean walked down the main staircase, still feeling lousy. Adiana had tried her damndest to help, to make him feel better or forget about it entirely, but she couldn't. No one could. He had promised Dad and now Sammy too that if the time ever came where Sammy turned, he would have to kill him. Dean didn't know if he could. He reached the bottom of the stairs and stopped. Adiana had suggested that he should sleep, but he told her he was going to take a look around, clear his head. She had seemed about to argue with him, but instead kissed him goodnight before leaving him alone in the room. Now, he didn't even really know what he expected to find.

Just then he heard a clink coming from a doorway next to the front desk. He strolled over and cautiously entered the room. There were small tables set up inside, each with two wooden chairs and a small lamp. The walls were bright white and, against the farthest wall, Sherwin stood behind the counter of a bar, polishing glasses. Dean approached him and he looked up from the shining glass in his hand.

"Find any good antiques?"

"No, no... Got distracted."

"Have a drink." Sherwin reached for a bottle of whiskey as Dean sat down on a bar stool.

"Yeah, thanks." Sherwin poured about an inch in a large glass before pushing it toward Dean. "So, poor guy. Killing himself." Dean took the glass, as Sherwin reached for his own mostly empty glass.

"That kind of thing seems to be going around lately."

"Yeah, I heard about the other ones. It's almost like this hotel is cursed or something." Dean took a gulp of the whiskey. Sherwin eyed the bottom of his glass, frowning.

"Every hotel has its spilled blood. If people only knew what's gone on in some of those rooms they've checked into." He took a long drink. Dean considered him meditatively for a moment.

"You know a lot about the place, don't you?"

"Down to the last nail."

"I'd love to hear some stories." Sherwin smiled.

"Boy, you should never say that to an old man. Come on." Sherwin abandoned his drink, but Dean held on to his. They went back to the staircase he had just come down. Sherwin stopped halfway up, pointing to a picture. It was a black and white of a woman in a light shirt and long dark skirt holding onto the shoulders of a young smiling girl. "This is little Miss Susan and her mother, Rose… happier days."

"They're not happy now?"

"Well, would you be? Leaving the only home you ever knew?" Dean shrugged.

"I don't know. I never really knew one."

"Well, this is Rose's home. It's been in the family over a century. It used to be the family estate. And now she gets to live in some senior living graveyard, and they tear this place down," Sherwin said, his anger increasing with each word. Dean gave him a moment to calm down before speaking again.

"That's too bad. I hear Rose isn't feeling well, either." Dean continued up the staircase to the second floor, Sherwin following right behind.

"No, she isn't."

"What's wrong with her?"

"It's not my business to say." Dean looked back at him as they rounded the top of the staircase and moved down the hall.

"Huh." He noticed a picture framed on a side table with a photo of a little girl with poofy hair playing with an arrow. "Who's this?"

"That's Rose when she was a little girl." Sherwin pulled out another picture from behind that one. It showed Rose, a bit older now standing next to a black woman, who was holding open a book. Dean glanced and did a double-take. The woman was wearing a necklace with the same quincunx symbol that was on the urn and the vase.

"Who's that with her?"

"That's her nanny, Marie. She looked after Rose more than her own mother." Sherwin walked over to a mantel with a large empty space and rested the picture against the wall. He stood with his back to Dean for a minute, gazing at the picture. "Well, it's getting late. I should close up. I can take your glass for you."

"Oh, yeah. Thanks." Dean drank the rest of the whiskey down and handed Sherwin the glass.

"Good night, son."

"Night." Sherwin walked back to the stairs and began the trek down. Dean moved closer to the picture.

So the nanny must have taught Rose hoodoo, but what was Rose using it for? Maybe Susan was in on it. She was very quick to insist her mother was ill. He could talk to Rose tomorrow, once Sam and Adiana were awake. It was too late now. Susan and Tyler would be sleeping near Rose's room, and he couldn't risk waking them up and getting thrown out. Dean went back to room 237 and slipped in quietly, locking the door behind him. Moonlight illuminated the room, pooling on the floor next to Sam's bed. Sam hadn't moved from where Dean had left him. He was partially covered, the edges of the comforter rolled over on top of him. Must have been Adiana's doing. Adiana herself was curled up under the covers of the other bed, facing away from him. Dean leaned against the wall, hard wooden boards pressing against his back as he considered his brother curled up almost like a baby in a blanket. Harmless. On the surface at least. He didn't want to believe that Sammy could turn from hisgood little brother into a raging Mr. Hyde. But more and more the odds were looking worse. First, his psychic visions. Then, these other kids with powers popping up. The demon virus that only Sam seemed immune to. And the woman with visions like Sam vanishing. It was all adding up to something. Something bad with Yellow-Eyes written all over it. Something he couldn't figure out. But this thing, whatever it was, he had to save his brother from it now before…

Sighing, Dean craned his neck so that his head nearly hit the wall as he gazed up into the shadowy space above his head. How could he do it? All his life he was told to take care of Sam. Family came first. He'd accepted that. After all, his dad had drilled it into him every day. You stuck with your family. That was the rule. Goddamnit, how could he do it?He'd rather die than do it. And yet… and yet he promised. It was sick and twisted, but he'd promised it anyway. What right did they have to put this on him? It shouldn't be up to him. They'd had enough to deal with this past year without having to go through this. The blows just kept on coming.

That thought weighed on him as Dean brushed his teeth and changed for bed. He tossed his clothes into his bag and kicked it away as he sat down on the edge of the bed he shared with Adiana. The mattress was softer than the average motel room, and he struggled to settle under the blankets without moving the bed too much. It wasn't very successful, for Adiana stirred and rolled over. Her eyes opened, but they were hazy with sleep. He felt bad for waking her up.

"Just me, babe. Go back to sleep."

"Mmmm… did you find anything?" she mumbled.

"We'll talk about it tomorrow. Sleep."

"M'kay. Night." Adiana's eyes fluttered closed and she soon fell back asleep. Dean tried to do the same, but sleep wouldn't come. Thoughts about Rose and hoodoo and Sam flashed through his mind, melding into a kind of static buzzing in his head. Why couldn't he get these thoughts out of his head? He needed a distraction. Soft fingertips brushed against his hand. Perfect. His vision was blurry as he adjusted to the dim moonlight, but as it sharpened he could see the face of the woman next to him. Now, he just needed to focus on her and nothing else.

Her eyelids quivered slightly, as if any moment her eyelashes would part revealing her eyes. Dark hazel eyes that could warn him off with a glance or pull him across the room with the tilt of a suggestive eyebrow. But no, it was just dreaming that caused the movement now, throwing a flickering shadow on the ridge of her cheekbone. Her cheeks were smooth expanses of pale, white skin. He'd hardly noticed how pale it really was, almost like those dolls. No, idiot, don't think about those creepy dolls. Focus. It wasn't always that colorless anyway. He'd quickly found all the right places to touch to bring a bright, pink flush to her face as gasping sounds of pleasure passed between her lips. Full, pink lips that were slightly parted now, a thin upper lip and fuller bottom lip glistening in the light of the moon. She'd press those lips together when she was upset, upper lip almost disappearing, but when she smiled… now really smiled. Not that half-smile-with-your-mouth-closed deal but actually smiled, those lips stretched wide, dimples creasing from those lips all the way up to her nose.

He was always tempted to kiss her then, and she'd eagerly comply wrapping her mouth loosely around his tongue as he tasted her. That was a sensation only bested by having her lips wrapped around something else. And while she picked up pretty fast exactly how to please him, she'd learned that she could tease him too. Once, she'd caught him watching her in the rear view mirror as she was eating her breakfast, some healthy white cereal crap. She began to move her spoon extra slowly, taking time to lick the spoon clean. White drops of the porridge clung to her lips, and after a full fifteen minutes at least of torture she had, on purpose he was sure, let some drip from her spoon down her chin, her delicate tongue licking it away as she continued to eye fuck him in the mirror. He'd had to pull over at the nearest gas station to relieve himself, and she just winked at him when he came out. Oh, but he had gotten back at her in the classic Dean Winchester style. He smirked at the memory. Handcuffs and a little bit of imagination. That was all it took

Waves of dark blonde Kim Basinger hair fell over her forehead, usually parted carefully to the side, but tossed about in sleep, small strands refusing to stay in place and curling out. It was still slightly damp from a shower, but it fell nearly halfway down her back when dry. He loved the way he could lose his hands in that hair and how the silken strands covered the pillow like a halo when they made love. His own naughty little angel. She certainly mentioned God enough, although her hands were never clasped in prayer. They held onto him instead or gripped the sheets as one of her hands was doing at the moment, long fingers curled up. Only her pointer finger stuck out loosely, revealing a shining nail carefully coated with a clear polish. She'd remarked not long ago how strange it was to grow them out.

"I usually cut them for piano," she'd explained and had clacked her nails against a table. "Otherwise it sounds like I'm playing a typewriter. Nothing to play anymore though, so I'm giving it a go." He'd made some comment about having something better to play with, something along those lines. Whatever it was, it had been funny. She had laughed then. Her hands went to her hips, trying to seem stern, but the laughter bubbled up anyway. Her face split in that bright smile as her shoulders shook, bowing in slightly to press against her breasts, shifting them up enticingly. They'd been covered then, but tonight the fabric of her loose fitting t-shirt had tugged down enough to reveal the bare tops of her breasts before the blankets fell on the rest of her body. He took in each detail of her body as she lay there, blissfully unaware in sleep. Sure, she wasn't the knockout he usually picked up for a one-night stand, but then she wasn't a one-night stand.

After Cassie, he'd sworn off any type of long-term relationship. They just weren't worth the trouble and never lasted long with the job. And hey, being single he could bang as many hot chicks whenever and wherever he wanted. It was the perfect system. But then Adiana had changed that. When she first turned up, he'd been convinced that she was some type of creature. He'd been ready to blow her away if she made just one wrong move. Even after they put her through every conceivable test, he'd put in a lot of phone calls and slept with his hand clutched to the knife he kept under his pillow for weeks. He hadn't started trusting her until that Andy kid had used his mind-freak powers to make her tell the truth and nothing but. After that, he started to sleep better and relax more, and he realized something. He liked having her around. She appreciated his jokes and threw in some of her own. She didn't mind listening to his music, sometimes chiming along with the words from the backseat. She knew how to make a really killer apple pie. She was one sharp cookie and wasn't afraid to speak up for herself. She got along with his brother. She had a really nice ass. She gave them new things to talk about on the long rides around in the Impala. But the best part of the whole deal was that he could just be himself around her because she already knew his biggest secret, and she didn't care. All the cards were on the table.

He'd considered finding out if he could just bang her once and get it out of his system. Okay, that wasn't exactly true. He knew he could have fucked her and did he ever want to, but their situation changed everything. Whatever they did, she was going to still be there when they got up in the morning. They were stuck together like Roger Thornhill and Eve Kendell. So he made like Roger suggested. "The moment I meet an attractive woman, I have to start pretending I have no desire to make love to her." He went out and had sex with random chicks, hoping the feeling would go away. It didn't. He'd been close to giving in that Valentine's Day in the parking lot. Hell, he'd been real close with those eyes staring up at him, begging him to close the few inches between them. But once he crossed that line, he knew there'd be no pulling out. Pun intended. And after that, things could either go well or get really uncomfortable. She had been the one to cross the line in the end, and he was almost relieved for it had begun to beat against the inside of his brain almost as much as worrying about Sammy.

They'd never actually talked about their relationship and carved it out. He preferred it that way. Basically, he just stopped sleeping with other women, and she started sleeping with him. Other than that, very little changed. Maybe this wasn't how a normal relationship was supposed to run, but what did he know about normal? He was just a hunter who grew up on the road, and she had just shown up out of the blue with a story about another dimension, kind of like Sarah Connor. Wait, did that make him Kyle Reese or Arnold Schwarzenegger? Either way, they were making it work. Instead of dates, they went on hunts and saved lives. Instead of work vacations, they took a night off going dancing at a club to music that made his ears throb, but Adiana sang right along. Instead of awkward family dinners, the three of them ordered out or shoveled down whatever delicious food she managed to cook up. He was just going to have to take things as they came. And you know what? Adiana was probably right. Sam had been pretty drunk, and he wouldn't remember anything in the morning. Staying up all night wasn't going to solve anything. He'd deal with the problem in the morning. Satisfied, he pressed his lips to the crown of Adiana's head, breathing in the scent of her shampoo as he closed his eyes and finally drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Adiana woke up to the sound of vomiting. Great, it's like being back in college. Once the sound ceased, she cautiously opened her eyes. Sam was crouched down next to the toilet in just his undershirt and pants.

"Are you going to be okay, Sam?"

"I think-" He leaned down and Adiana shut her eyes quickly, but she still heard it. Now she felt mildly sick. She rolled over, stretching out beneath cool sheets. She was the only one in bed, and she wondered if Dean had come back at all last night. She thought she remembered talking to him, but it was a little hazy. As if on cue, Dean opened the door of the room. Adiana gave him a little nod, curling her hands under the pillow.

"Morning. You're up bright and early."

"Just looking around outside." Dean pulled his jacket off, throwing it on a bureau. "How you feelin', Sammy? I guess mixing whiskey and Jager wasn't such a gangbuster idea, was it? I bet you don't remember a thing from last night, do you?" Sam groaned.

"Ugh, I can still taste the tequila." Dean looked as relieved as Adiana felt. She got up off the bed and grabbed her duffel bag, searching for her clothes for the day.

"You know, there's a really good hangover remedy." Dean watched Adiana pull the t-shirt over her head, revealing her bare back. "It's a greasy pork sandwich served up in a dirty ashtray." Sam moaned.

"Oh, I hate you."

"I know you do." Adiana turned to him, clipping her bra in the back.

"Be nice," she said, with only a partially serious frown. He winked at her, and she just rolled her eyes before stepping into the jeans puddle at her feet.

"Hey, it turns out when Grandma Rose was a tyke, she had a Creole nanny who wore a hoodoo necklace."

"So, you think she taught Rose hoodoo?"

"Yes, I do."

"Alright." Sam stood up, pushing off the toilet for support. He shuffled out of the bathroom to where his brother stood. The smell was pretty terrible, a mix of vomit and sweat. "I think it's time we talk to Rose, then."

"You need to brush your teeth first," insisted Dean.

"And a shower might be a good idea," added Adiana. Sam nodded and pushed his duffel bag into the bathroom with his foot, shutting the door. "Well, I was hungry for breakfast but not after that."

* * *

The trio gathered outside the door to Susan's room. The hotel was quiet as usual. Sam knocked, three quick raps.

"Hello? Susan?" There was no response. "All clear?" Dean leaned back and checked down the hallway.

"Mm-hmm." Sam crouched down, using a small metal rod to pick the lock of the door. They entered the room with the dolls, silently. Dean moved to the left, turning the knob of a white door. It opened slowly, revealing a wooden stairway. It was dark, dusty light barely filtering in through two windows on the landing.

They crept up the stairs. Adiana was feeling more uneasy all the time. This whole hotel was so eerie and quiet. It was almost as if no one lived here at all. They reached the top of the stairs. A lamp with a dim bulb illuminated a picture of a girl's face on a small desk. At the end of the hallway, a door stood ajar. Adiana barely dared to breathe as they moved to the doorway. Sam pushed it open slowly.

An old woman sat in a wheelchair facing the window. Her hair was white and pulled back in a bun. She had a shawl wrapped around her shoulders. She seemed to be staring at the rain outside, as it spattered against the window, rolling down the glass. They entered, feet creaking on wooden boards.

"Ms. Thompson?" Sam got no response. "Mrs. Thompson? Rose?" Still no response. They walked around Rose. Rose was indeed very old and, now, very scared. Her eyes flickered back and forth. She made no attempt to speak. "Hi, Mrs. Thompson. We're not here to hurt you. It's okay. We…Rose?" A low guttural sound came from Rose's throat, as if she were trying to speak but couldn't form the words. "Dean. Adiana." Sam spoke in a quite tone, indicating they should move back with a jerk of his head. They backed away, Rose's eyes moved back and forth nervously as they disappeared from her line of sight. Adiana felt that they should leave right now since Rose was clearly in no condition to talk, but she kept her mouth shut. "This woman's had a stroke." Dean looked over at Rose.

"Yeah, but hoodoo's hands-on."

"Yeah."

"You've gotta mix herbs and chant and build an altar."

"So, it can't be Rose. Heck, maybe it's not even hoodoo."

"You know, she could be faking."

"Yeah, what do you wanna do? Poke her with a stick?" Dean considered it, half nodding.

"Dean!" Adiana scolded in a whisper.

"Dude, you're not gonna poke her with a stick," Sam said disapprovingly.

"What the hell?" Susan stood in the doorway, staring in a mix of anger and disbelief. "What are you doing in here?"

"Oh, we just wanted to, uh…" "Oh, we just wanted to talk to Rose." "We were trying to talk…" Sam, Dean and Adiana all spoke over each other. Susan ran to Rose, putting a comforting arm on her shoulder.

"Look at her. She is scared out of her wits. I want you out of my hotel in two minutes or I'm calling the cops." They left quickly, Adiana taking one last glance back. Susan was stroking Rose's head, eyes livid. They tramped down the stairs, filing past Tyler who was playing with the dollhouse.

"Now what?" asked Adiana, once they were out in the hallway. "We can't just leave, right?"

"Right," affirmed Sam, opening the door to their hotel room.

"Right," echoed Dean, picking up his and Adiana's duffel bags. "We'll just pull out around the corner and park. Keep an eye out for anything. They're moving out today, anyway. Once they're gone, we can actually look around this place. "

"I'll tell you one thing though. I don't think this is Rose. She wasn't faking that, Dean." Sam threw his toothbrush in his duffel bag and zipped it up. "Which means it's something else."

"Yeah, maybe." They left the key in the room and wound through the maze of halls that lead out of the hotel. Sam and Dean threw the duffel bags in the trunk as Adiana opened the back door of the Impala. They had all gotten in when Susan came out the front door. She watched them, her arms crossed. Sam reached to roll down the window and apologize. "Let it be, Sam." They sped out of the driveway. Dean drove to the main road, did a three-point turn and started back. He pulled off of the road about halfway down, parking the Impala behind some bushes and turning her off. The boys pulled out binoculars to keep an eye on the house. Adiana rested her shoulder against the window and waited… and waited…and waited. About an hour and a half later, Sherwin drove by in a red truck, but he didn't notice them behind the bushes. A few minutes later, Sam threw down his binoculars.

"Let's go."

"Sam," started Dean, but Sam was already out of the Impala and striding down the road. Adiana reached over the seat and grabbed Sam's binoculars, holding them up to her eyes. Susan stood, staring at her swing set. The two swings were moving back and forth, but no one was sitting in the seats. The see-saw began to rock and Susan tried to stop it, but as soon as she let go, it continued to move. The merry-go-round started spinning a moment later, and Susan backed away. "Damn it." Dean opened the door to the Impala, putting down his own binoculars and starting after Sam at a jog. Adiana got out, trailing by a few steps. They got closer as Susan's car started to inch forward. Sam and Dean broke into a run. Susan backed away from her car, faster and faster as the car too sped up. Sam grabbed her, knocking her out of the way just in time as her car roared past, smashing into a tree with a loud _crunch_. The engine immediately stopped. Dean caught up a few seconds later.

"Come on, come on. Get inside. Let's go." Sam helped Susan up, and Dean grabbed Adiana's arm as she stopped next to him. They all went inside the house, Susan breathing heavily as she lead them to the bar room.

"Whiskey." She sat down at a table, resting her head in her hands. Sam nodded.

"Sure. I know the feeling." He moved to pour her a drink. Susan took a deep breath.

"What the hell happened out there?" Dean paused.

"You want the truth?"

"Of course."

"Well, at first, we thought it was some sort of a hoodoo curse. But that out there?" Dean pointed out the window. "That was definitely a spirit."

"Here." Sam handed Susan a glass of whiskey. Susan gazed skeptically at Dean.

"You're insane." Susan took a sip, tears forming in her eyes. Dean watched her, frowning.

"It's been said."

"Look, I'm sorry, Susan," started Sam, as a tear rolled down Susan's cheek. "We don't exactly have time to ease you into this. But we need to know when your mother had the stroke."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Just answer the question."

"Uhhh." Susan thought for a moment, clutching her glass. "About a month ago."

"Right before the killings began. See?" he said to Dean. "So, what if Rose was working hoodoo, but not to hurt anyone-"

"But to protect them," finished Adiana.

"She was using the five-spot urns to ward off a spirit," realized Dean.

"Right," confirmed Sam. "Until she had a stroke and she couldn't anymore." Susan stared at them with wide eyes.

"I don't believe this."

"Listen, sister, that car didn't try to run you down by itself, okay? ... Well, I guess it did, technically, but a spirit can – forget it," finished Dean in defeat, shoving his hands in his pockets. Sam sat down across from Susan.

"Just believe what you want, all right? But the fact is you and your family are in danger. So you need to clear everybody out of here: your employees, your mother, your daughters, everyone." Susan was nodding along, but then looked confused.

"Um…I only have one daughter." Dean cocked his head to the side. Sam stared at Susan.

"One?"

"I thought Tyler had a sister named Maggie," said Adiana.

"Maggie's imaginary," scoffed Susan, as if she was used to explaining this. Adiana, Sam and Dean all looked at each other with concern.

"Where's Tyler?" asked Sam.

"She should be in the playroom. You don't think…" Susan got up and ran up the stairs, Adiana, Sam and Dean trailing right behind. Susan threw open the door to the playroom. "Tyler?" Dolls were everywhere; smashed, broken, ripped apart. "Oh my God. Tyler!" Susan flew into a different room. Sam looked in the closet. Dean opened up another door in the room. Nothing. "Tyler? She's not here!" she said as she came back. Adiana was afraid to move, not wanting to step on the broken bits of doll. Sam moved closer to Susan.

"Susan, tell us what you know about Maggie."

"Not much. Tyler's been talking about her since Mom got sick."

"Okay, did you ever know anyone by that name?"

"No." Dean knew there must have been someone.

"Think, think. Maybe somebody that could have lived here, might have passed away?" Susan was shaking, looking around. Then, her head snapped back.

"Oh my God. My mom. My mom had a sister named Margaret. She barely spoke about her."

"Did Margaret happen to die here when she was a kid?" questioned Sam.

"She drowned in the pool."

"Come on," directed Dean. They ran out of the hotel and down through the back. Susan took the lead, dashing through the rooms and out of the back door. They sprinted to a large glass pool house, skidding to a stop outside the door. Tyler stood inside, over the railing, holding on tight. She was gazing down at the pool below.

"Tyler!" called Susan through the glass. Sam and Dean rammed their shoulders and elbows against the glass trying to break it. Adiana took off in search of another way in. "Tyler!" Tyler turned around.

"Mommy!" Tyler fell backwards, as if she was pushed. She hit the plastic covering the pool and became tangled, water seeping in around her. Dean stopped pounding against the glass.

"Is there another entrance?"

"Around back!"

"All right, let's go. Keep working," he said to Sam.

In the back, Adiana had found a wooden door, but it was locked. She glared at it, backed up and rammed sideways into it. It barely moved. Adiana stumbled back, her side throbbing. Bad idea. But she had to try. Dean and Susan rounded the corner.

"Stand back." Dean kicked the door; it bulged but didn't cave. He tried two more times. The door rattled in its frame but held firm. "Son of a bitch!" He kicked and kicked at the door. Finally, it gave, flying inward. Susan dashed through the splintered frame, Dean and Adiana right behind. Sam was in the water, carrying Tyler. Her face was pale, and she didn't appear to be breathing. Sam set her down on the tiled floor. Her red coat stood out against the white tile like blood. Susan sank to her knees, hands hovering over her child in shock. Adiana turned her head, unable to look and buried it in Dean's chest. No, they couldn't save everyone, but it was worse somehow when it was just a child. Dean put an arm around her, resting his head against hers. Sam hung his head in defeat as Susan began to shake. Then, Tyler made a choking sound, and water bubbled out of her mouth. Susan grabbed Tyler up in her arms.

"Oh, thank God! Thank God!" Adiana turned her head as Tyler opened her eyes, blinking through the chlorine.

"Mommy!"

"Yeah, baby, I'm here!" Susan managed through sobs.

"Tyler, do you see Maggie anywhere?" Sam asked. Tyler gaze darted around the structure.

"No, she's gone." Tyler curled up against Susan's chest. "Mommy." Adiana let out a breath of relief. Dean kept his arm around her as they left the pool house. Susan had taken off her coat and put it over her daughter's shoulders. They all walked back up the stairs to the playroom. Adiana, Sam and Dean waited as Susan and Tyler went up the stairs to the next level.

"Don't worry, honey," assured Susan. "We're leaving in two minutes. We've just gotta get Grandma."

"I don't get it," said Dean, once they were out of earshot. "Did Maggie just stop?"

"Seems like it," sighed Sam, his eyes resting on the door.

"Where the hell did she go?" Suddenly, the sound of Susan's scream came from upstairs. The trio dashed up the staircase into Rose's room. Susan stood staring at her mother, Tyler clutched in her arms. Rose was slumped over in her wheelchair, eyes empty. Susan walked out of the room, wanting to get Tyler away. Maybe Maggie had found her victim after all.

* * *

Sam and Dean stood at the foot of the front steps. Susan had called the paramedics, and the brothers stayed with her in the front hall until they arrived. Adiana stayed with Tyler, teaching her some card tricks she had picked up from a friend. They were still inside as the paramedics wheeled Rose's body into a coroner's van. Susan looked down at Sam and Dean from the top step.

"The paramedics said it was another stroke. You think Margaret could have had something to do with it?"

"We don't know," said Dean.

"But it's possible," conceded Sam. "Susan, I'm sorry." Susan looked at him as if he was crazy.

"God, you have nothing to apologize for. You've given me everything." Tyler appeared in the doorway, shoving a pack of cards into her pocket. "Ready to go, kiddo?"

"Yeah."

"Tyler, you're sure Maggie's not around anymore?" asked Dean. Adiana walked up behind her and lightly touched the girl's shoulder.

"She's sure." Tyler nodded.

"I'm sure. I'd see her." Susan held on protectively to Tyler as they walked to a waiting taxi.

"Well, I guess whatever's going on must be over," Dean said with relief. Susan opened the door of the taxi, and Sam held it open as Tyler climbed in.

"You two take care of yourselves, alright?" Susan wrapped him up in a hug, which Sam returned. Adiana and Dean grinned at each other.

"Thank you. All of you," she said, getting into the taxi. Sam shut the door and the taxi pulled away. Tyler waved out the window, and Adiana waved back. They started back to the Impala, which Dean had gotten while they were waiting for the paramedics. He chuckled to himself.

"I think you could've hooked up some MILF action there, man. Seriously, I think she liked you." Adiana nodded.

"Yeah, Sam. That was your chance right there."

"Yeah, that's all she needs," Sam said, putting his hands in his pockets.

"Well, you saved the mom, you saved the girl," Dean took out his keys. "Not a bad day. Of course, you know I could've saved her myself, but I didn't want you to feel useless." Sam laughed.

"Alright, I appreciate it." They reached the Impala.

"Feels good to get back in the saddle, doesn't it?"

"Yeah. Yeah, it does," Sam leaned on the top of the Impala. "But it doesn't change what we talked about last night, Dean." Adiana froze with her hand on the door handle. So he did remember.

"We talked about a lot of things last night," said Dean evasively.

"You know what I mean."

"You were wasted."

"But you weren't. And you promised." Sam opened his door and got in. Adiana did the same and Dean followed suit a few seconds later. He glanced at Adiana in the rear-view mirror. She was looking at him with an almost apologetic expression. He turned to Sam, mouth open as if about to speak. Instead, he sniffed and turned the keys, starting up the Impala. They pulled out, leaving the hotel looming against a grey sky.


	22. Snowballs, Sleds And Scares

**For my reviewers: JustKillMe21, Wicked Rose06, Rosa4dean **

"Well this case was a bust," admitted Dean.

"Yeah, just a nut-job with some knives," sighed Sam. "Want to stick around a day or so just in case?" Dean shrugged.

"Might be a good idea." They were walking on a path through a large park. It was mid-morning, so the park was empty of children. Their usual presence was evident from the tracks of boots and sleds on a large hill that made up about half of the park. They would likely be back as soon as school let out for the day. Thick grey clouds covered the sky, threatening to add to the two-and-a-half feet of snow already covering the ground. Luckily, the walkways had been cleared, but there were still patches of ice that needed to be carefully avoided. Dean felt something cold and hard smack him in the back of the head.

"Ow. What the hell?" He turned around, brushing snow out of his hair. Adiana stood a couple of feet behind him, staring over her shoulder. When she looked back, confusion was evident on her features.

"Did you see who threw that? It almost hit me." Adiana's cheeks and nose were tinged red from the cold, almost matching her scarf. Her hands were jammed in her coat pockets in an attempt to unthaw them.

"No, I didn't. When did you get that far back?"

"When I stopped to look at a cardinal in the trees. I was going to point it out, but you guys were busy talking."

"Oh." Dean started walking again.

"Hey!" Both Dean and Sam turned around this time. Adiana was brushing at the back of her head furiously to knock out any snow. "Okay, that one hit me." Dean peered around, searching for anyone hidden among the trees.

"Goddamn kids. Come on."

"Yeah, I'm coming." They began walking again when a snowball hit Dean's ear.

"Okay! Quit it!" yelled Dean. Adiana strolled passed him.

"Let's just keeping going. Kids will be kids, and it's only snow, anyway."

"Yeah, Dean," mollified Sam. Dean was glaring at the trees closest to them, but he continued along the winding path. He wiped the snow off the side of his face with a frown, snow melting and dripping down his finger tips. He moved to catch up with Adiana, but halted again when he noticed something odd.

"There's no snow in your hair."

"Sorry?" Adiana glanced back over her shoulder at him. Dean quickened his pace until he was beside her. "There's no snow in your hair."

"Umm… Yeah. Didn't you see me brushing it out?" He reached out and touched her hair.

"It's not even wet." Dean narrowed his eyes at her.

"Are you serious?" Adiana huffed and marched forward indignantly, but the corners of her mouth had turned up into a smile.

"Adiana, watch-" The moment Sam started speaking, Adiana moved quickly left. Dean's snowball whizzed past her shoulder. She took off into the snow, now grinning widely. She glanced behind her just in time to see another snowball, and she narrowly managed to dodge it. She ran behind a tree, scooping up some snow of her own. She cautiously peered around the edge of tree, and a snowball hit it, spraying snow in her face. Adiana launched her snowball, and Dean avoided it easily. Starting a snowball fight with a hunter might not have been the best move, after all there was no way she could win unless…

"Sam, help!" she called, running out from behind the trees as Dean snuck around the other side. Sam was watching from the path in amusement.

"Oh no, you got yourself into this." Adiana dashed past him, hoping he'd block Dean's line of fire for a few moments. She scooped up more snow, packing it into a ball, just as a snowball hit her square in the back, exploding in a puff of white. Adiana twirled around, still running, and launched her snowball, which missed by a good three inches. Dean stooped to pick up more snow when a snowball slammed him in the back. Adiana stopped her frantic jog as Dean turned around slowly. Sam stood on the edge of the path, forming another snowball. He caught Dean's gaze and smiled. "I just don't think it's a fair fight." Adiana took advantage of Dean's averted eyes to hit him with another snowball. Dean began moving sideways, forming a ball in his hands.

"Oh, so it's two against one, is it?" He threw the ball at Sam, who moved aside easily, and began to run, Adiana and Sam following after him. They waged battle for almost an hour, Dean refusing to give up the fight. A few people crossed through the park, most of them giving the trio odd looks before hurrying through. An older couple stopped to watch for a while. They even cheered when Dean hit a patch of ice and, instead of falling, managed to slide across. He gave a short bow, which of course was just enough time for Sam to peg him on his right shoulder. Finally, they managed to corner Dean against a tree. Adiana hid behind the tree while Sam chased Dean towards it. Adiana popped out at the last second, stopping Dean in his tracks. He looked from Adiana to Sam and put up his hands.

"Alright. Uncle." Adiana and Sam dropped the snowballs they were holding and high-fived. "Yeah, whatever. Let's just get out of here. I'm freezing my ass off." Adiana rolled her eyes.

"Someone's a sore loser."

"You are aware I could just pick you up and drop you in a snowdrift."

"You wouldn't dare." Dean scooped her up. Adiana squeaked in surprise and grabbed onto his shoulders.

"Oh I wouldn't?"

"Dean Winchester, you put me down or…"

"Or…?" Adiana glanced at Sam before leaning up to whisper in Dean's ear. Dean set her down almost immediately. "I was just kidding anyway, babe."

"Sure you were." Dean kissed her on the cheek before they set off through the park. "So, are we hitting the road tonight or what?"

"We're going to stick around for another day." Sam checked down the street before stepping onto the crosswalk. "Just to be sure."

"Well, in that case, what do you guys want for dinner tonight? Meat is not an answer, Dean." Dean closed his mouth, pouting slightly. Sam laughed.

"Whatever you make is good."

"That's not a good answer either. I'm going to have to get a cookbook soon. I really don't know that many recipes." Since Adiana was perfectly willing to cook, they had on occasion scouted out motels that had a stove. After all, a constant fast food diet did get old after a while. Adiana didn't know how the boys had managed it all this time. She was sick of it after a few weeks. Of course, she only knew a couple of recipes she'd picked up in college or learned from her mom, but it was enough to get by. The boys helped her on occasion, but the food wasn't overly complicated and Adiana could handle cooking on her own.

"You gonna need help carrying stuff back?" asked Dean, as they stopped in front of the grocery store. Adiana shook her head.

"It's only two blocks. I'll be okay. See you two in a bit." Adiana stepped inside the grocery store. It was hectic with people trying to stock up for the impending winter storm. Adiana wove her way through the herd of people, glad she didn't need anything like water or bread as those appeared to be the items most quickly leaving the shelves. She found everything she needed with relative ease and was able to use the self-checkout line with a small number of items, which saved her a lot of time. They all fit in one well packed bag, and Adiana balanced it between her arms. She backtracked a block to the liquor store to buy a small bottle of peppermint schnapps. The front clerk peered at her suspiciously from behind his glasses.

"ID, please." Adiana gave him the ID the boys had made for her. It said that she was twenty two, but the clerk still examined it doubtfully. Adiana frowned. She didn't look that young. She'd be twenty one soon and none of the bartenders had carded her so far. The clerk handed back her ID and rang up the bottle. Adiana stuck the bottle in the bag from the grocery store. She almost made it back when something in the window of a store called Odds and Ends stopped her. She considered, but eventually ducked into the store to make one last purchase. Finally, she made her way back to the motel. She rested her two items from Odds and Ends against the wall next to their door and then knocked with her free hand. Sam opened the door for her.

"You were gone awhile."

"Yeah, the grocery store was a madhouse. Everyone's preparing themselves for a storm." Sam shut the door and sat back on the bed, eyes glued to the football game. Dean was on the other bed, watching the television just as intently. Adiana set the bag down on the table and pulled off her coat. She put two peppers, a pack of hamburger and an onion into the fridge. The can of tomato sauce and box of macaroni noodles she set on the counter next to the stove before setting the peppermint schnapps, a small bag of powdered sugar, a bottle of vanilla extract, a carton of milk and several chocolate bars on the table. She opened the drawer under the sink, grabbing a pot and a cutting board. The milk was poured into the pot and set on the stove to simmer. With all of that finished, she set the cutting board on the table and began chopping up the chocolate into tiny pieces. Dean glanced over during a commercial.

"Chocolate?"

"Mhm. No you may not – Dean!" Dean grinned cheekily as he sat back down on the bed chewing on a large chunk of chocolate. "You think I would have learned by now to keep anything edible out of your reach until it's finished," Adiana muttered under her breath. She finished cutting up the chocolate and moved it to the counter before stirring the milk. It had begun to bubble ever so slightly. Perfect. She pulled out some measuring cups and added the rest of the ingredients including a dash of salt from a shaker. The liquid began to send wafts of steam upwards as Adiana stirred it. After a while, it blended to a rich dark brown. She pulled it off the stove top, pouring three steaming mugs of hot chocolate. She handed one to Sam.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome." Adiana tapped the other mug with her fingernails, eyeing Dean's outstretched hand. "I don't know if you deserve this. You did steal some of the chocolate."

"Just a piece." Adiana didn't hand him the mug, so Dean tried a different approach. Adiana giggled.

"Almost, Dean. A few puppy-dog lessons from Sam and you'll have it." But she relented and handed him the mug. She grabbed her own mug and sat next to Dean on the bed. Truth be told, she wasn't a huge fan of football. Luckily, the game was almost over. After the timer on the screen ran out, Adiana jumped up and shut off the television. "Okay, hope that hot chocolate warmed you guys up, because we're going back outside."

"And uh – why would we be going back out there?" asked Dean. Adiana opened the motel door, grabbing the items she had left propped up next to the door. One was a bright orange plastic sled that was long enough to fit two people. Hopefully. The boys did have very long legs. Another was a round purple sled, labeled 'Flying Saucer' meant for just one person.

"I saw this orange one in a window and figured that maybe we could give it a try before all the kids got out of school. Oh, come on," she continued at their incredulous stares. "It'll be fun. You guys didn't think Disney would be that great, but it was. Have a little faith." Sam threw a look to Dean who shrugged.

"All right, I'm in." Sam nodded.

"Me, too."

"Let's go then." Adiana set the sleds on the floor so she could grab her coat. The boys put on theirs as well, and Dean picked up the sleds. They made their way back to the park and up to the top of the hill. Dean stuck the sleds in the snow, so they stood straight up. "Okay I'll go first." Adiana pulled out the orange sled and set it in one of the tracks the kids had made. She sat down, heels dug into the snow to keep it in place. She felt the sled sink behind her as Dean joined her and she smiled. He put his hands in the snow to hold the sled, as Adiana shuffled her legs close together so he could stretch his out around her. "Ready?"

"Ready." Dean pulled his hands out of the snow and wrapped them around Adiana's waist. The sled began to slide, slowly at first, but picking up speed until they were flying down the hill, snow fanning out around them. They skidded to a halt a few feet away from the bottom of the hill.

"Well?" asked Adiana, leaning back against Dean.

"Let's go again." Sam flew past them, spinning in the saucer. It stopped and he got up, staggering as he tried to regain his sense of balance.

"That was awesome." They walked back up the hill.

"I want to try the saucer," said Adiana, taking it from Sam. She set it down, kicking off at an angle to set it spinning. The saucer zipped down the hill, rocking back and forth. It hit a bump in the snow at the bottom, sending Adiana tumbling out. She lay in the snow, laughing.

"You okay?" asked Dean, as his sled stopped just past hers a few seconds later.

"I'm good." She sat up, and he helped her stand. They trekked back to the top again. This time Dean took the saucer and Sam took the orange sled. "I'll go with you. It's faster with two people."

"Sounds good." They passed the rest of the morning and part of the early afternoon sledding over and over down the hill. Eventually, it became a competition to see who could get the farthest. Adiana thought she had it made on the flying saucer until Sam and Dean took the orange one down. Adiana hadn't even cared that they had beaten her, she was laughing so hard at the sight of them legs-crossed, crammed onto the tiny sled.

"Guys, I think we've got company," noted Adiana finally, as a little boy made his way to the hill, his mother carrying a large red sled. A few other children were coming behind. "We can come back tomorrow," she assured, as they looked at the children in disappointment. "Come on, let's ride down."

* * *

_Adiana woke up on the couch in her apartment. She rubbed her eyes. Supernatural was playing on the television, the credits for "Simon Says" just beginning. _

_"Dean? Sam?" They didn't answer. Of course not. "Emily?" No, her roommate had gone out for the night. Adiana watched the screen, a close up shot of Dean watching the Impala drive away. A dream? Was she dreaming now or just waking up? No, this had to be a dream. Had to be. She began to shake. No. No please. Not again. _

_A familiar hallway passed as Adiana ran to the bathroom and opened the cabinet. She took out a bottle of pills her roommate had gotten after a root canal. She twisted open the cap and looked into the bottle. Still enough left. If you died in a dream, then you woke up. No one would be around for a while. She stared at the pills. But what if she wasn't dreaming? No, she had to be dreaming. Everything with the Winchesters had seemed so real. This seemed real too, though. Adiana put the bottle of pills to her lips. She took a deep breath. It'd all be over quickly and she'd wake up. She'd woken up from other dreams like this one. No. She threw the bottle of pills into the sink. There must be another way to be sure. She couldn't chance killing herself, not if this was reality. Each time this happened, she was becoming less and less sure. She looked in the mirror. Her eyes were wide and frantic. She didn't look herself. God, she hated this. Dreams that haunted her over and over, but she was never sure if they were dreams. Tears formed in the corners of her eyes. How, how could she figure this out? Not death. Death wasn't an option anymore. She couldn't stand another suicide. Pain, lots of pain._

_Adiana slammed her fist into the mirror. It shattered. She hit it again, shards of glass lodging in her hand. She hit it a third time, and all pieces of mirror fell to the floor leaving only the jagged edges. Her hand was bleeding profusely, and shards of glass stuck out everywhere. It hadn't worked. That had worked last time, she suddenly remembered. She had done this last time, and then woken up. Why not now? Why not? She stumbled back, slipping on the glass and falling to the ground. Her head hit the back wall and she passed out._

* * *

The pain was gone in an instant. Adiana lay completely still, afraid to open her eyes. Finally, she inched her eyelids apart. It was pitch black, and she waited for her eyes to adjust. Sam came into shape, sleeping on the bed next to hers, arms wrapped around his pillow. Adiana sat up slowly and looked next to her. Dean was asleep on his back, head turned towards her. Adiana took a shaky breath, trying to calm her rapidly beating heart. She reached out slowly, touching his face, tracing his jaw line and feeling the prickle of stubble. She didn't want to wake him, but she needed to feel him and know he was really there. He stirred, and Adiana drew her hand away. She slid out of bed and went to the bathroom to splash some cold water on her face. Her reflection in the mirror was pale and tired. She touched the glass, remembering the feeling of her fist against her own mirror. No, the mirror in her dream.

Back in the bedroom, Adiana padded silently to the window and peered through the blinds. It had started to snow sometime during the night and it was still going, flakes tumbling down through the sky. She picked up her coat from a chair and pulled it over her tank top. Boots went on next before she opened the door and stepped outside. The cold air stung her face, but it felt good. She watched the snowflakes falling around her, letting her know she was awake, alive. She stood out in the freezing air, not keeping track of time, not caring that she felt numb with cold. When she felt strong arms wrap around her from behind, she nearly screamed.

"You shouldn't sneak out like this. You had me worried. And woman outside alone in the middle of the night is an easy target." Adiana let out a breath of relief at the sound of Dean's voice.

"I'm sorry. I didn't think I'd wake you up." They watched the snow quietly as the flakes fell harder, turning the night bright white. His hands slid into her coat pockets covering her frozen fingers.

"Do you want to tell me what's bothering you?"

"Nothing's bothering me."

"Something is."

"You have enough to deal with without worrying about my problems."

"Adiana, you said that you'd be there for me whenever I need you. That works both ways, you know."

"Dean, I …" Adiana took a deep breath, feeling the air burn the inside of her chest. "Whenever I wake up and it's early, it's always so quiet. I can't hear you or Sam or… anyone. And when that happens, I'm afraid to open my eyes in case… in case I've been dreaming this whole time and I'm just waking up. I'll have nightmares where I wake up on my couch at home, and I don't know if it's real or not. This, here, now, having you with me, sometimes it just seems too good to be true. And even if this is real, what if the person that brought me here just decides to bring me back while I'm sleeping? There's nothing I could do. I'd have no way of getting back. Dean, I can't lose you. I know we've only known each other for a couple of months, but I feel like we've been together so much longer than that. I love you, and I'm afraid I'm going to lose you." She felt tears fall from her eyes, leaving cold trails down her cheeks. Dean turned her around to face him.

"Adiana, this—" Dean held her face in his hands, "is real. I'm real. This moment right now is real." Dean kissed her hard, and Adiana pulled her hands out of her pockets to hold him tightly. She tried to memorize the feel of his lips against hers, the way they tasted. Dean broke the kiss, but kept her close, his forehead pressed against hers. Adiana looked into his eyes, the fierceness she found in them made her heart pound. "That was real. You're not going anywhere. Anyone who tries to take you away is going to have to get through me first, and if they think they can take me, they don't know what they're up against.

Look, I still remember that first time I saw you, passed out on that porch. I didn't know what you were. Hell, I thought you might be a demon. But one thing I knew was that you were hot. I'm serious," he assured her as she smiled disbelievingly. "And I always thought I was the type of guy who was happy being single and couldn't fall fast and hard, but you proved me wrong. Yeah, I have to deal with a lot of shit, but you know what gets me through it? You. You have never given up on me, even when I gave up on me. You've got my back, and you've got Sammy's back. And nothing in this whole goddamn world will change how I feel about you. Okay?"

"Yeah, okay. Okay." Adiana kissed him again, feeling better and more grounded. Then she took a deep breath as she wiped the tears from her face. "We can go back inside now. It's kind of cold."

"All right… You know Sam's still asleep, and he's a pretty deep sleeper so if we made a little noise, you know just to prove this is real and all, I don't think-"

"Thank you for making me feel better, Dean. But no."


	23. Nightshifter

**For my reviewers: JustKillMe21 & chase83**

_Though it's cold and lonely in the deep dark night  
I can see paradise by the dashboard light  
Ain't no doubt about it  
We were doubly blessed  
'Cause we were barely seventeen  
And we were barely dressed  
Ain't no doubt about it  
Baby got to go and shout it  
Ain't no doubt – _

"And I thought girls singing into hairbrushes just happened in the movies. Or you know, school girl porn." Adiana reached out and turned down the volume on the radio.

"You guys are back earlier than expected. And yes, we do sing into hairbrushes, although this is the TV remote… which now that I think about it, is probably disgusting, and I don't know why I would put it near my mouth. Don't even say it," she added, before Dean could make another comment. "So this Ronald Resnick guy, did he shed any light on the Milwaukee Trust robbery?" Sam took the remote from Adiana and stuck a tape in the VCR.

"In a way. The robbery had the same M.O. as the jewelry store: inside job, long-time employee, the never-in-a-million-years type. Dude robs the bank, then goes home and supposedly commits suicide."

"And Resnick was the security guard and friends with the guy who committed the robbery. So what's on the tape?"

"Man, that has got to be the kicker, straight up." Dean pulled out a map, sitting down at the table. "He told that poor son of a bitch that… what did you say? You had to remand the tapes that he copied? Classified evidence of an ongoing investigation? That's messed up." Sam sat down in front of the television and started to fast forward through the tape, the image flickering on the screen.

"What, are you pissed at me or something?"

"No," said Dean, as he circled the bank and jewelry store in red marker. Adiana moved behind him to get a better look. "I just think it's a little creepy how good of a Fed you are. Come on, we could've at least thrown the guy a bone. He did some pretty good legwork here." Sam raised an eyebrow.

"Mandroid?"

"He thinks it's a what?" interrupted Adiana. Dean held up the map, his head cocked to the side, trying to see a pattern.

"A mandroid, you know, with laser eyes. Can morph into other people."

"Oh, like in the second Terminator movie?" Sam shook his head as he slowed down the tape.

"You two are too alike for your own good, you know that?" Dean grinned, placing the map back on the table.

"Aw, don't be jealous Sammy. Not everyone can be this awesome." Sam frowned, choosing to ignore the comment. "Well, he did good except for the mandroid part. I liked him. He's not that different from you and me. People think we're crazy."

"Yeah, except he's not a hunter, Dean. He's just a guy who stumbled onto something real. If he were to go up against this thing, he'd get torn apart. Better to stay in the dark and stay alive."

"Yeah, I guess." Sam stopped the tape, and then pressed forward. Adiana watched the man walk through what she guessed was the most recently heisted bank. When his eyes caught the camera, they reflected silver. Sam paused the video. Adiana recognized those unnaturally bright eyes.

"Shape-shifter?" Sam nodded.

"Just like back in St. Louis. Same retinal reaction to video."

"Eyes flare at the camera." Dean's jaw tightened. "I hate those freakin' things."

"You think I don't?"

"Yeah, well, one didn't turn into you and frame you for murder." Dean put a piece of paper over a map of a sewer main and traced a portion of it. Sam continued to gaze at the shape-shifter.

"Look, if the shifter's anything like the one we killed in Missouri-"

"Then Ronald's right. Alright, they like to layer up underground, preferably the sewer." Dean put the paper over the map of the city. "Now, all the robberies have been connected so far, right?"

"Yeah."

"To the sewer main layout." Dean tapped the map over a section reading 'City Bank of Milwaukee'. "There's one more bank lined up on that same sewer main. So I figure we go in as the SecuriServe Guard Service and take a look at the cameras. We'll have Adiana out in the main lobby and call her once we see the eyes flash. That way, she can make sure the shifter make a run for it until we get out there. She makes a scene, we grab the shifter, take him outside and gank his ass." Sam shrugged.

"Sounds good to me."

"Me too." Adiana put a hand dramatically to her forehead. "I do love to make a scene."

* * *

Adiana entered the bank behind Sam and Dean. They were wearing blue, one-piece uniforms with SecuriServe Guard Service emblazoned across the back. The amount of uniforms these two had still amazed her. Even more surprising was the fact that they all fit in the Impala's trunk. Adiana had tried to dress as plainly as possible so she wouldn't stick out. She wore a green sweater over dark blue jeans and had her hair pulled up into a ponytail. She ambled up to one of the bank tellers, an older woman with short black hair going grey. Her nametag read 'Kathy' in neat block printing.

"I'd like to open a bank account." Kathy smiled widely.

"Okay well, we're going to need you to fill out some paperwork first. Just give me a minute to grab it." Kathy disappeared through a back door. Adiana glanced behind her as the boys walked past, tagging along behind a security guard.

"Well, we haven't had any flags go up on our system yet."

"No, no. This is a glitch in the overall grid," assured Dean. "We just wanna make sure the branch monitors are kosher."

"Better to be safe than sorry, I guess." Adiana leaned against the marble booth as Kathy came back, her hand full of papers. She grabbed a clip board and attached the papers.

"Okay here you go. Just fill these out. Here's a pen. Bring them back when you're done, and we can get you started."

"Thanks." Adiana took the clipboard and pen from her outstretched hand. She moved to one of the tables that were in the middle of the room and began to slowly fill out the papers. However, you could really only go so slow before you practically had to stop. Kathy didn't notice. In fact, Adiana was pretty sure that Kathy had forgotten her completely. She was currently having a long gossip session on the phone. The security guards were a different story. It was their job to search for suspicious activity, and someone taking almost an hour to fill out four pieces of paper was definitely suspicious. One guard finally sidled up to her.

"Good evening, miss." Adiana acted as naturally as possible, setting her pen down with a friendly façade covering her features.

"Evening."

"You've been over here a while. Having trouble, are we?" He scanned the page that lay face up on the clipboard.

"Yeah. You know, I had a paper with all this information, but I forgot to bring it. I texted my boyfriend, asking if he could just text me what I needed, but I guess he's not home yet or…"

_Way, way down inside_

_I'm gonna give you my love_

_I'm gonna give you every inch of my love _

_I'm gonna give you my love__  
_

"That must be him." Adiana pulled her cell phone out with relief. The screen flashed on, revealing the message 'bank manager.' She furtively cast about the room, as the guard was still eyeing her. Where was the bank manager? A heavy-set man with wild, curly hair caught her attention. He was running clumsily down the stairs at full tilt. There was something familiar about him. She had seen his picture somewhere…It was Ronald Resnick. But what was he doing here? On his back, he carried a large black bag. He set it on the floor and pulled out a rifle. She nearly dropped her phone. Fuck.

"This is not a robbery!" Ronald let two rounds off into the ceiling. "Everybody on the floor! Now!" He let off another round. "Get down, damn it! Come on! In the middle! On the floor, in the middle!" People hurried out from behind the booths and sat down in front of them as Ronald waved his gun in their faces. "Hurry up! Come on!" Adiana rushed over, pocketing her phone and plopped down between two of the tellers. She wondered if Sam and Dean had heard the gunshots. God, they better hurry up before he shot someone. "Now, there's only one way in or out of here, and I chained it up." Ronald pulled a key on a string out from his pocket and held it up. "So nobody's leaving, you understand?"

"Hey, buddy? Calm down. Just calm down." Dean and Sam held their hands up in the air, as they approached him. Adiana was glad they had finally come, but the way Ronald was pointing the gun at them made her nervous. Ronald's eyes went wide as he recognized them instantly.

"What? You! Get on the floor, now!"

"Okay, we're doing that." Dean slowly knelt on the ground. Sam did the same, but there was clear reluctance on his face. "Just don't shoot anybody, especially us."

"I knew it. As soon as you two left. You ain't FBI. Who are you? Who you working for, huh? The Men in Black? You workin' for the mandroid?" Ronald had a wild look in his eyes, and his fingers alternatively tightened and loosened on the trigger. If he hadn't seemed so crazed, Adiana might have laughed at the ridiculousness of his question. She didn't feel much like laughing now though. Anything could push the man over the edge. Sam wasn't put off by Ronald's tense stance. He scoffed and put his hands to his chest.

"We're not working for the mandroid!"

"You, shut up!" Ronald violently pointed at Sam, keeping one hand on the gun. "I ain't talking to you. I don't like you!" Dean smirked at his brother. Sam rocked back on his heels and nodded sharply.

"Fair enough." Ronald pointed his gun at the teller next to Adiana, a tall black man in a sweater.

"Get over there. Frisk them down. Make sure they've got no weapons. Go!" The man got up, hands in the air, and stood behind Sam, beginning to pat him down. Adiana wasn't worried. They'd agreed on no weapons. After all, there had been a good chance one of them would have had to go through a metal detector at some point. Sam was clean, and the man started on Dean. He stopped at Dean's boots. Dean grimaced as the man pulled up his right pant leg, revealing a silver blade. The man pulled the blade out of his shoe. Ronald eyed it with a frown.

"Now, what have we here?" Sam glared at Dean.

"I'm not just gonna walk in here naked," Dean hissed. The teller handed Ronald the knife and backed away.

"Get back down." The teller obligingly obeyed. Ronald lifted the knife in one hand and held it over the trash slot.

"Nuh nuh. No, no, no." Dean reached out, almost as if to grab the knife. Ronald dropped it. It clinked as it fell down, clanging loudly when it hit the bottom. Ronald turned his gun on Dean, in case he made another move. Dean sighed. "We know you don't wanna hurt anybody. But that's exactly what's gonna happen if you keep waving that cannon around. Now, why don't you let these people go?"

"No! I already told you. If nobody's gonna stop this thing, then I've gotta do it myself!"

"Hey, we believe you! That's why we're here!"

"You don't believe me. Nobody believes me! How could they?" Ronald was shaking, sweat dripping down his forehead. Dean's eyes flicked over to Adiana. She silently mouthed the words 'be careful', praying for him not to do anything stupid. He beckoned to Ronald.

"Come here."

"What? No!"

"You're holding the gun, boss, you're calling the shots. I just wanna tell you something. Come here." Ronald shuffled forward gradually, lowering his gun a fraction of an inch. "It's the bank manager," Dean whispered.

"What?"

"Why do you think we got these get-ups, huh? We've been monitoring the cameras in the back. We saw the bank manager. We saw his eyes." Ronald's own eyes went wide.

"His laser eyes?"

"Yes – no, no! Look, we're running out of time, okay?" Dean shouted in exasperation. "We've gotta find him before he changes into someone else."

"Like I'm gonna listen to you! You're a damn liar!" Dean began to stand up, his hands held defensively in front of him. Fear licked down Adiana's spine. He was going to get himself shot. "I'll shoot you, get down!"

"Take me. Take me with you. Take me as a hostage, but we've gotta act fast. 'Cause the longer we just sit here, the more time he has to change. Look at me, man. I believe you. You're not crazy. There really is something inside this bank." No one moved. Ronald still clasped the gun tightly. Adiana stared at the weapon, willing it to lower.

"Alright," Ronald decided. "You come with me. But everyone else gets in the vault! Get up!" Everyone stood and began to shuffle in behind the booth, single file. Ronald stood at the back, herding them with his gun. They walked in through an open gate to the vault. "Open that up!" One of the senior tellers stepped forward, twisting the lock until the vault opened. Two men pulled the heavy metal door wide open. "Come on, move! Move, move!" They shambled inside, all with their hands up, except for Dean who stopped just outside the vault. "Now, you lock it up."

"It's okay, everyone. Just stay cool." Dean began to shut the door, winking at Adiana before it closed. Adiana crossed her arms worriedly as the vault locked. He was out there, weaponless, against a shape-shifter with an armed and very unstable man. Sam didn't seem thrilled with the situation either.

"Who is that man?" asked a pretty, young bank teller.

"He's my brother," mentioned Sam.

"He is so brave." Sam sighed. "And handsome." Adiana watched in amusement as Sam became more and more irritated. After a while though, the humor of the situation wore off. In fact, her constant stream of comments was becoming increasingly more annoying. Adiana slid down against a wall, tugging up the sleeves of her shirt. It was getting hot inside the small vault. Some of the tellers began to talk amongst themselves, others silently waiting. Eventually, the lights went out, leaving only three emergency lights giving off a dim glow. That caused a momentary panic until Sam suggested that it was probably the police. She didn't really care what had caused it. She just hoped Dean was okay. There was no way of knowing, unless… Adiana pulled out her cell. No service. Of course not. "Has your brother always been so…wonderful? I mean…staring down that gun. And you know, the way he played right into that psycho's crazy head, telling him what he wanted to hear. He's like a real hero or something." The teller gazed longingly at the door of the vault.

" Yeah…yeah," mumbled Sam, his body tense. Adiana caught his attention and patted the empty floor next to her in an attempt to save him from the teller. At that moment, the vault door opened. Dean stood in the light, a pistol clasped in his hand. Adiana stood up, wanting to dart over to him, but she caught sight of Ron over his shoulder.

"Oh my God!" squealed the teller. "You saved us! You saved us!"

"Actually, I just found a few more. Come on everybody, let's go!" Dean gestured into the vault with his gun and several more employees filed in.

"What are you doing?" asked the teller in confusion.

"Sam, Ronald and I need to talk to you." Sam gratefully left the vault, Adiana scurrying out just behind him. Dean smiled awkwardly at the teller before shutting the door in her face. He turned to Sam, sticking the gun in his back pocket. "It shed its skin again. We don't know when. Could be in the halls, could be in the vault."

"Great. You know Dean, you are wanted by the police."

"Yeah." Dean rubbed his face, looking out the window at the lights of the cop cars.

"So, even if we do find this damn thing, how the hell are we gonna get out of here?"

"I don't know. One problem at a time."

"What are you doing out?" Dean glanced around Sam. Ronald had his gun leveled at Adiana whose hands were partially up in the air.

"Whoa. Hey, easy. She's with us." Ronald lowered his weapon, but kept his eyes on her distrustfully.

"How do you know she's not the man – the shape shifter."

"She's not the shape shifter," Dean assured him. Ronald turned to stare at the entrance to the room, but he continued to watch her out of the corner of his eye. Dean pulled her aside. "You should go back in the vault. It's safer." Adiana raised an eyebrow.

"You said yourself that the shifter might be in there. Besides, that blonde teller was driving me up the wall. And if you're really that concerned, don't you want me where you can keep an eye on me?" Dean considered, but Adiana knew he'd let her stay.

"All right, we're gonna do a sweep of the whole place to see if we can find any stragglers," he announced. "Once we get everyone together, we've gotta play a little game of 'Find the Freak'. So, here. I found another one of these for you." Dean handed Sam a silver letter-opener. "Now, stay here. Make sure Ronald doesn't hurt anybody. Help him manage the situation."

"Help him manage? Are you insane?" Adiana winced, as Sam yelled. She saw Ronald watching them over Sam's shoulder. Dean noticed too, smiled, and gave Ronald a thumbs-up.

"Look, I know this isn't going the way we wanted it to-" Dean whispered.

"Understatement!"

"But if we invite the cops in right now, Ronald gets arrested, we get arrested, the shifter gets away. We'll probably never find it again, okay?" Sam gestured to Ronald who was standing with his gun pointed at the window. "Ron! Out of the light!" Ronald bowed his head, ashamed, and moved backwards into the shadow.

"Seriously?"

"Yeah, Ron's game play was a bad plan. I mean, it was a bit of a crazy plan, but right now, crazy's the only game in town." Dean gave Sam a reassuring pat on the shoulder before heading off to the back rooms with Adiana in tow. The hallways were dark. The only source of light came from any windows they passed, which were few and far between. Adiana stood as close to him as she could without stepping on his heels. She kept sneaking glances over her shoulder to make sure they weren't being tailed. Dean opened the first door he came to. Supply closet. They moved onto the next room, an office. The closet door in the office stood ajar. "If I tell you to run, you run and get Sam, okay?"

"Okay." Dean motioned for her to stay behind the desk as he approached the closet, silver letter-opener gripped firmly in his right hand. He put his free hand on the doorknob and swung the door open. Empty. Adiana let out a breath. Safe. Dean shut the closet and moved to the back of the desk. He rummaged around in the drawers and pulled out a silver letter-opener.

"Here." Adiana took it from him. She felt a bit better now that she had a weapon, but she'd have to get close to the shape-shifter to actually use it. Hopefully that could be avoided. They moved back down the hallway, checking rooms as they went along. In one room, Adiana noticed something off about the ceiling. One of the panels was slightly askew. Dean followed her gaze up to the ceiling panel. He grabbed a coat rack that was standing next to the door and began to prod the panel, trying to push it aside. There was a cracking sound, and he threw the coat rack aside, backing away. Plaster and bits of metal sprayed out as something large and heavy fell and hit the floor. The dust cleared, and Adiana was able to see that it was a man stripped down to his boxers. His throat was slit.

"That's…" Adiana tried to remember the name tag, "Sampson, I think. He's in the vault. I mean, he's not but I guess the shifter is." Dean gritted his teeth.

"Alright, let's go get him." They made their way back to the front lobby, where Sam and Ronald were standing outside the vault, talking to some of the men inside. "What's going on?" whispered Dean. Sam nodded toward the two men in the middle of the vault.

"The security guard says he's having some type of chest pain. They want to take him out to the paramedics. I called, they won't bring one inside."

"Yeah well, the guy holding the security guard, that's the shifter." Sam took a deep breath.

"You know what, Ronald? He's right. We've gotta get this man outside." He entered the vault and began to take the security guard away from the shifter. "Come on, I've got you."

"Yeah, I'll help you," offered the shifter.

"No, I've got him. It's cool. Thanks."

"Thank you," mumbled the security guard, leaning heavily on Sam.

"Sure." Sam helped the man over to the staircase, avoiding the light from the front. Dean cautiously approached the vault.

"Hey, can I talk to you for a second?" The shifter didn't seem nervous. That couldn't be a good sign.

"You've got the gun, man. Whatever." The shifter held his hands up, slipping slowly out of the vault. He suddenly punched Dean in the gut, slamming him into a file cabinet. Dean fell to the ground, and the shifter took his gun before running across the main floor. Adiana knelt by Dean, helping him to stand up. Ronald ran after it, brandishing the gun.

"Stop! Come back here!" Dean took off as soon as he was on his feet, and Adiana trailed behind. He still seemed a bit unsteady and she was afraid he would fall. Ronald stopped as the shifter ran around a corner. The light from outside shone on his back.

"Get down, now!" yelled Sam from the stairs, but it was too late. A bullet pierced one of the glass windows and flew straight through Ronald, sending blood arching onto the floor. Dean threw himself down into a corner behind one of the booths, pulling Adiana protectively against him. She didn't see Ronald fall, but she heard a sickening _thwack _as his body hit the floor. Dean held her tightly, watching the thin red beam of light still targeted on Ronald's body. She was breathing hard, chest heaving in short bursts. This was the most stressful hunt to date, no doubt about that. Sam left the guard sitting on the stairs and rushed to crouch next to Dean and Adiana.

"Here." Sam handed Dean the key to the locked front door. "Take care of the guard. I'm going after the shifter." He got up, ducking low to keep out of the light and took a back corridor. Dean slipped out from behind Adiana, crouching to stay hidden.

"Stay here. You still have that letter-opener?" Adiana nodded, pulling it out of her pocket. She put a light hand on his arm.

"Be careful, okay?" Dean kissed her before sliding around the corner of the booth. Adiana sat, her back pressed to the wall. She listened, as Dean helped the guard up the staircase and opened the front doors. Any second she expected the blast of another gunshot, and it made her feel ill.

"No, no, no! Don't even think about it!" Adiana squeezed her eyes shut. "I said get back, now!" Police and ambulance sirens screamed. Men yelled to each other. Just any noise but please, not a gunshot. The cacophony of sounds was cut off as Dean locked the doors back up. Well, he made it through that at least.

_I'm far more than a man_

_I'm gonna make you understand_

_I'm a larger than life sized man_

"Yeah?...What? God, it's like playing the Shell Game. It could be anybody, again!... Alright, you search every inch of this place. I'm gonna go round everybody up." Apparently, the shifter had shed its skin again. Adiana's grip on the letter-opener tightened. Footsteps echoed across the marble floor, coming closer. Dean rounded the corner, Ronald's gun slung over his back. "Come on, we have to get everyone back in the vault. There aren't too many." She got up and together they moved into the same corridor Sam had taken. It didn't take them long to find everyone. Sam had sent them all back. Resignedly the employees took one look at Dean's gun and went with him to the vault. The teller who had talked non-stop about Dean earlier seemed bitterly disappointed.

"And I thought you were one of the good guys."

"What's your name?"

"Why would you care?"

"My name's Dean."

"I'm Sherri".

"Hi, Sherri." The lobby phone began to ring. _"_Everything's gonna be all right. This will all be over soon, okay?" Adiana picked up the phone as Dean shut the vault door.

"Hello?"

"_This is Special Agent Victor Hendrickson_." Dean placed his gun on a table and gently took the phone out of her hand. She stood close so she could hear the other side of the conversation.

"Yeah, listen, I'm not really in a negotiating mood right now, so-"

"_Good, me neither. It's my job to bring you in. Alive's a bonus but not necessary._"

"Whoa." Dean chuckled. "That's kind of harsh for a Federal Agent, don't you think?"

"_Well, you're not the typical suspect, are you, Dean?_" He tensed up at the sound of his name."_I want you and Sam and Adiana out here, unarmed, or we come in. And yes, I know about Adiana too, Bonnie to your Clyde_." Adiana stared at the phone. Who the hell was this guy? Dean just smiled.

"Yeah well, that part's true, but how'd you even know we were here?"

"_Go screw yourself, that's how I knew. It's become my job to know about you, Dean. I've been looking for you for weeks now. I know about the murder in St. Louis. I know about the Houdini act you pulled in Baltimore. I know about the desecrations and the thefts. I know about your dad._" Dean's smile faded.

"You don't know crap about my dad."

"_Ex-Marine, raised his kids on the road: cheap motels, backwood cabins, real paramilitary survivalist type. I just can't get a handle on what type of wacko he was. White supremacist, Timmy McVeigh, tomato, tomahto._"

"You've got no right talking about my dad like that. He was a hero!"

"_Yeah, right. Sure sounds like it. You have one hour to make a decision or we come through those doors, full automatic._" The line went dead as Hendrickson hung up. Dean closed his eyes, taking a deep breath before slamming the phone back on the hook. He leaned against the table. Adiana put a comforting hand on his shoulder, rubbing it gently. Sam entered the room from one of the back entrances.

"Hey."

"Hey." Dean grabbed the gun off the table. "We've got a bit of a problem outside." Sam pointed to the vault.

"We've got a problem in here. That blonde teller, I just found her in a closet, throat slit."

"Alright then, let's take care of her, so we can figure a way out of here." Sam turned the dial and opened the vault back up. Dean stepped inside, holding the gun by his side.

"Sherri? We're gonna let you go." Sherri backed up.

"What? Why me?"

"Uh, it's a show of good faith to the Feds. Come on."

"Uh…I think I'd rather stay here with the others."

"I'm afraid I'm gonna have to insist." Sherri's eyes darted about the room, searching for an escape route she knew wasn't there. If she hadn't been the shifter, Adiana would have felt sorry for her. Finally, she walked forward and out of the vault. Sam shut it, spinning the lock. They marched her to the office where Sam had found the corpse.

"I thought you were letting me go." She stepped into the office and saw the body on the floor. Sherri began to scream and threw herself backwards against Sam. She stumbled and nearly tripped. Dean watched her with some amusement.

"Is that community theatre, or are you just naturally that good?" Sam raised his letter-opener.

"This is the last time you become anybody, ever."

"No! Oh, God!" Sherri passed out, falling against the ground. Dean, Sam and Adiana exchanged confused looks. Adiana glanced back and forth between the two bodies. They were identical, except in dress. The Sherri with her throat slit wore a light blue one-piece slip. The shifter had killed its other victims, so it most likely killed Sherri. But why would the shifter pass out? It made no sense. Dean knelt by the collapsed Sherri's body. After a moment, he shrugged and raised the letter-opener.

"Dean, wait." Adiana squatted next to him. He paused."What's the advantage of this plan? This really doesn't make any sense."

"Yeah," added Sam. "I mean, fainting now wouldn't help it survive." Dean turned his head between the corpse and the unconscious Sherri.

"Huh." He shuffled over to the corpse. The sound of glass shattering in the lobby distracted them for a moment. The sound of Dean choking brought Adiana's attention back. The corpse, no… the shifter had grabbed Dean's throat. He clawed at the shifter's hand, trying to yank it away. Sherri regained consciousness, took one look at the shifter and began screaming again.

"Oh, God! Oh, God!" Sam helped her up, and she clung to him like a life raft. Adiana wanted to help Dean, but her brain wasn't functioning. Too much stress in one day. She was going to need a vacation after this.

"Get them out of here, now!" instructed Dean as he wrestled with the shifter. Sam took Adiana's arm, and she struggled against him.

"Sam, I can help. If the shifter-"

"Don't fight me on this. Please." Adiana stopped pulling. She had promised Dean that if he wanted her to go then she would.

"Okay, let's go." They darted out of the room and down the corridor. Soon, they heard heavy footsteps trailing behind. The S.W.A.T. had arrived.

"Stay here." Sam let Sherri go, and she stood trembling against a wall. Adiana and Sam continued down the hallway until a loud voice bellowed from behind them.

"Freeze! Let me see your hands!" They both put their hands up. Adiana didn't know how the hell they were getting out of this one. Escaping a police station was one thing. Escaping from the S.W.A.T. was on a completely different level. She shouldn't have underestimated Sam though.

As soon as the two S.W.A.T. members got close enough, Sam turned around, grabbing one of their guns and bashing it against a man's head. He took advantage of the other man's shock to grab his gun and hit him over the head as well. Adiana, who had frozen the second Sam whirled around, slowly turned and nodded down at the two men.

"Nice. Now just… the rest of the S.W.A.T. team to go." Sam shook his head.

"Nope. All we gotta do is change into their clothing and no one will think to look twice." Adiana grinned.

"Look at you go. You've got this all figured out." They dragged the two men to the supply closet. The two were out cold, but they sure wouldn't stay that way. After stripping off their uniforms, Sam and Adiana bound the S.W.A.T. members' hands and feet with electrical extension cords that Adiana spotted on one of the shelves and ripped off pieces of a tarp to make makeshift gags. They pulled the uniforms on over their own clothing and stepped into the hallway. "What about Dean?" asked Adiana, her voice muffled by the face mask.

"We'll just have to find-" Another S.W.A.T. member turned the corner into the hallway. He spotted what he thought were two colleagues.

"Hey. You two find anything?" They didn't respond. The man tramped closer. "Hey! I said-" Adiana swung her rifle like a baseball bat, hitting the man sharply on the head. He fell to the ground instantly. Sam turned to her, the goggles concealing the astonishment in his eyes. Adiana stared down at the gun in her hands. She hadn't thought, just reacted.

"Is he okay? I think I may have swung too hard." Sam knelt by his body and checked his vitals.

"He's fine. He'll probably have a headache when he wakes up though. That was a hell of a swing."

"Uh, thanks. Let's get his uniform so we can get out of here."

"Good idea." They bound him, same as the others, and shoved his uniform into a trash bag. They marched back through the hallways, checking in every room they passed. Other S.W.A.T members hurried by, but no one stopped them. Still, Adiana felt nervous every time someone rushed towards them. The bodies of the men in the closet could be discovered at any time. She checked an office door, the lock clicking as she opened it. Dean was crouched down in the corner next to the shifter. It had the silver letter-opener sticking out of its chest. He saw her coming with Sam right behind and looked around in panic. With nowhere to run, he put his hands up in defeat.

"Alright, no sudden movements. I want you to stand up slowly." Dean cocked his head.

"Adiana?"

"…Maybe."

"I thought that outfit looked big on you. Cute though. You make it work."

"Quit screwing around, guys. No time." Sam dropped the trash bag at Dean's feet. Dean pulled on the gear and the trio left the room. They slid, undetected, through the halls of the bank. S.W.A.T was swarming all over, but no one seemed to have found the three men stripped of their uniforms. That was unlikely to last for long, but by then it didn't matter. They ducked out of the back entrance into the empty parking lot. In silence, they crossed the pavement and got into the Impala. Adiana carefully laid her gun on the seat, before pulling off the goggles, helmet and facemask. God, it was hot in this uniform. She breathed in deep, letting cool air fill her lungs. They had made it out alive. Dean put his hands on the wheel, flexing his fingers.

"We are so screwed." He turned the key in the ignition and the Impala roared to life. Music filled the car, as Dean backed up and pulled away.

_Oh mama I'm in fear for my life_

_From the long arm of the law_

_Law man has put an end to my running_

_And I'm so far from my home_

Adiana drummed her fingers on the seat of the Impala, humming along. Well, every good escape needed the right theme music, didn't it?


	24. How To Do 'The Job'

**For my reviewers: Bloody Scarlett Cherry Blossom, JustKillMe21, Wicked Rose06, Elm Treigh, chase83, ephona**

Adiana laid the metal rod down on the bed and snapped the shotgun shut. That was the last one. It had taken a few hours, but they'd managed to clean every weapon in their arsenal. Dean had taught her how to clean guns a while back, but some of these weapons she'd never even seen before. Curved blades with ancient writing on the handles, long iron pieces twisted into different shapes. She questioned the boys about them, and soon they were explaining everything. What it killed. How to use it. Why it supposedly worked. She tried to remember at least what weapon killed what type of creature, but after a while she began to lose track. Eventually, she'd get it all. They'd had plenty of practice, and she was just starting out.

"I just don't understand why we have to stay in a cabin in the woods in the middle of freakin' nowhere," said Dean testily as he started packing the guns into a duffel bag. Sam sighed.

"Because your face was all over the news, and this Hendrickson guy is going to make damn sure that everyone is keeping an eye out for us. So we stay out here and lay low for a couple of weeks."

"A couple of weeks? What the hell are we going to do out here for a couple of weeks? I'm going to go all Mort Rainey kind of crazy."

"In that case we better hide the screwdrivers," Adiana joked, waving one in front of him before shoving it back in the tool kit.

"Look Dean, it's not that long, and we get to relax for a while. Isn't that a good thing?" Dean frowned at his brother.

"So I'm just supposed to watch daytime soaps and sleep all day?"

"Or you could teach me how to use this." Adiana gingerly cradled the shotgun in her hands. The boys stared at her. "What? This is meant as a hunting cabin, and it's hunting season so no one would mind the gun shots, not that anyone could hear us out here anyway. Besides, I hate being totally useless. If I actually had to use one of these things, I'd probably miss and manage to damage myself in the process. It'd be good for me to learn some fist-fighting too. If I'd come face to face with that shifter, I'd have been so screwed. And since I don't foresee myself leaving any time soon, I think it's time learned how to do this job." The room was silent. This was exactly what she had been afraid of. They didn't think she was ready. Finally, Dean shrugged.

"Sounds like a plan."

"Wait, so you guys are okay with this? I would have said something sooner if I knew that. Nothing, Sam?"

"Uh… no. Why?"

"I just thought you'd be all 'it's our life but it doesn't have to be yours. It's not too late for you' with puppy dog face." Sam laughed.

"Adiana, it was too late for you the moment you decided to shack up with this loser."

"Hey! You're the loser… loser." Adiana raised an eyebrow and smirked.

"Awesome come-back, Dean." He caught her eye, and she winked. "Love you."

"Uh- huh. I'm going to set up outside. Bring the pump with you." Dean left the room, the front door shutting behind him. Adiana set down the gun she was holding. Sawed-off pump shotgun. She opened the bag Dean had been packing, considered the array of weaponry and pulled out what she was pretty sure was the right shotgun.

"This one?" Sam nodded. "Got that much down at least." Adiana started toward the front door, noticing him tagging along. "You're not going to watch this, are you?"

"Wouldn't miss it."

"Great. So no pressure or anything," Adiana groaned as she pushed the door open.

"You'll probably do better than you think."

"Hopefully, because right now I'm thinking I'm going to miss, hit some poor animal and hurt myself. Now, where did Dean get off to?" The Impala was parked in the dirt in front of the cabin. She would have thought Dean would still be grabbing the ammo and figuring out what she'd be using as a target. Something big to start would be nice. "Dean?"

"Back here." Adiana and Sam followed the sound of Dean's voice into a clearing in the trees. A hole had been dug in the ground long ago with a metal grate covering it. This area was meant for cooking outside, but they'd be using it for a very different purpose. An actual red and white target was set up about forty feet away, resting against the trunk of a tree. Adiana approached Dean who was holding a bag of ammo.

"So… you just have a target in the back of the Impala?"

"Wouldn't want to get rusty. It's there for practice."

"Of course."

"You remember how to load the gun?"

"I think." Adiana broke the gun open with a snap, revealing the empty chamber. She loaded eight shells and carefully closed the barrel. "Locked and loaded."

"All right. Now, put one hand along the barrel and one on the trigger. Move your left foot slightly forward. You want to rest the butt against your shoulder and line the barrel up with your target. Don't lock your wrists. There's going to be a kick-back. Adiana?"

"…Yeah."

"You're not going to be able to hit anything if you're shaking like that." Adiana took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves. True this wasn't a life or death situation, but there were still plenty of things that could go wrong. She had to forget about that and just concentrate on hitting that target. Another deep breath and the shaking disappeared. She still felt a bit queasy, but that she could deal with.

"I'm good."

"Okay, when you're ready, release the safety and pull the trigger." Dean took a few steps back. Adiana kept the barrel of the shotgun steady, closing her right eye to make sure she had lined up correctly with the center of the target. Please, let it hit. She flicked the safety switch and pulled the trigger. The shotgun jolted in her hands, a bit more than she expected, the force moving the barrel off center. The shells exploded across the top of the target. Damn. Well, at least she hit it. "Try again." She moved the barrel back into position, pulled the pump back and flicked the trigger. This time the gun stayed steady and the shells hit a few inches above center. Adiana pumped and again squeezed the trigger. The shells hit center.

"See. You did fine." Sam's voice sounded slightly muffled over the ringing in Adiana's ears.

"In all fairness, I have plenty of time to aim and a nonmoving target. If it were a ghost, I'd be screwed." Still, Adiana couldn't help but smile.

"Put on the safety, and go again." Dean held out the bag of ammo, and Adiana began to load the gun. She practiced for about forty-five minutes, using up a good portion of the ammo and all but destroying the target. She had gotten pretty good at hitting the center when she had plenty of time to take aim. Once she started hitting the center almost every time, Dean tried to teach her how to hold up the gun, aim, release the safety and fire all in one quick motion. No matter how many tips Sam gave, no matter how many times she watched Dean do it, she could not seem to hit the center. Most of the time, the shells hit the sides of the target. Her arms had begun to ache too. She was going to have to start working out.

"That last one is about as close as I'm going to get today. Seriously, my arms might fall off," Adiana moaned finally. Dean peered into the bag.

"And we're almost out of ammo."

"I can go into town and grab some," offered Sam. "We passed a hunting store on the way in." Dean tossed the bag and his keys to Sam.

"Get enough for about a week. And get some for the forty-five too." He wrapped an arm around Adiana's waist as they walked back to the cabin. "You did good for your first time."

"I think you're just saying that because I still have a loaded gun."

"It's not loaded."

"That's what you think…. Okay, so it's not loaded. I just wish I could hit that target better. You guys do it so easily."

"Not everyone can be as naturally talented as us." Sam snorted.

"Adiana, we were trained in this for as long as I can remember. It comes with practice."

"I know," Adiana sighed. "I've just never been great about being patient." They reached the cabin, and Sam climbed into the Impala.

"See you two later."

"Careful on this road. Don't go over thirty. All the bouncing on this dirt, she doesn't like it. I don't want her damaged." Dean gently patted the Impala's hood. Adiana shook her head.

"Forever the number-one woman in your life."

"She's just jealous, baby."

"Jealous? We had sex in the back seat. I consider that a threesome. If I was jealous, I wouldn't have let that happen." Sam turned on the engine at the word 'sex', hoping to block out anything that followed.

"You two are really bad at keeping personal stuff to yourselves, you know that?"

"You'd be surprised, Sammy," said Dean with a wicked look.

"Don't want to know." Sam started backing up, and Dean took his hand off of the Impala. Adiana opened the door of the cabin and stepped inside, letting the door fall shut behind her. She dropped the gun in the duffel bag and flopped down on a bed, shutting her eyes. Even though she knew that by the end of these two weeks she'd be sore as all hell, Adiana was glad she would finally be able to actually help out on hunts. She wouldn't be nearly up to hunter standards, but there was plenty of time to improve. The front door opened and shut, and Adiana heard Dean's footsteps across the wooden floor.

"Can't nap yet sweetheart." Adiana opened one eye.

"Why's that?"

"Training's not over yet. You can relax when we're done. You asked for hand to hand training remember?" Adiana opened the other eye and slowly sat up.

"In here? Shouldn't we be somewhere where we can't knock anything over?"

"Nah, this is fine. We'll just push that bed over." Adiana hopped up off her bed and helped Dean push it against the wall. They faced each other in the center of the room. "Okay, now I want you to hit me."

"I don't want-"

"Don't worry about me. Just do it." Adiana threw a half-hearted punch, which Dean easily knocked aside. "Not a girl punch. I want you to actually try." She frowned and clenched her fists. She attempted to hit him a second time, much harder. He stepped to the side and batted her fist out of the way. She tried again and again, each time he evaded her punches without any trouble.

Finally she managed to get in a hit. It hadn't exactly been a fair hit. Adiana had gotten so frustrated that she stomped on Dean's foot. He'd let out a grunt of surprise, and she took that opportunity to slam her fist into his chest, which had about all the effect of hitting a brick wall. Dean grabbed her hand and twisted her around, pulling both hands behind her back. Adiana's fingers stung slightly, and she grimaced when his hands brushed them.

"I forgot your chest was made out of steel," she said between heavy breaths.

"Yeah, but my feet aren't."

"Sorry. But hey, monsters don't fight fair, do they?"

"Ain't that that truth." Dean let go of Adiana and she turned back to face him. "Well, now that I know I can't hit, teach me your ways."

"Actually, that wasn't the point."

"Um…. Then, what was?"

"Were you watching how I blocked?"

"You couldn't have told me that in the beginning? I mean, I watched a little. You would step aside and then push my hand out of the way."

"Right. It doesn't need to be as far as possible, as long as you move their hand aside so it won't hit you straight on. So, if I were to come at you like this?" Dean slowly put up a fist and inched it toward Adiana. She stepped to her right and swung her left arm up and away to deflect his fist. He continued, growing faster over time. If she missed, he applied a little pressure to let her know she'd been hit, but not enough to actually hurt. She was concentrating so hard on blocking Dean that she didn't notice that she was edging closer and closer to the wall until she took a step back and slammed against it. He grabbed her wrists pushing her back against the wall. Adiana tried to wriggle out of his grasp, but he pressed his body against hers, effectively trapping her.

"Not fair. You backed me up against this wall on purpose."

"Monsters don't fight fair, do they?"

"Oh, very funny." Adiana shifted against Dean, trying to move him back a bit so she could look straight up at him instead of having to tilt her head sideways. It wasn't working out. "You win. Want to let me go now?"

"I don't know. I'm kind of liking this."

"That doesn't surprise me at all." Adiana ended breathily as Dean's lips pressed against her throat. "I thought we were training," she said in a near whisper, shuddering as Dean bit down softly on her pulse point. He ran the blade of his tongue along the red marks he'd left on her skin before answering.

"And take up all of our Sammy-free time?" He nuzzled against the hollow of her throat, peppering the skin with light kisses and playful nips of his teeth. Adiana's hands pressed against the wall behind her where Dean held them, as her lips moved soundlessly until she managed to push words out.

"…Why is it that I feel like you planned this from the beginning?"

"Would that be a problem?" asked Dean, his lips brushing lightly up against her jaw line.

"Let me get back to you on that." Dean smiled and met Adiana's mouth in a kiss. She let her eyes flutter closed, mouth parting as his tongue slid along her bottom lip. In fighting he might have the advantage, but now they were more evenly matched. Though he was the one pinning her to the wall, she dueled with his tongue for dominance between heavy breaths. His hands left her wrists to settle against her waist, fingers brushing up under the hem of her shirt. She could feel him against her skin, passing over her stomach to run teasingly along the bottom of her bra.

Something in the other room crashed to the ground. Dean's head snapped around, listening for another sound. A few seconds later, some floorboards creaked. Dean withdrew his hands, looking back over his shoulder. Adiana straightened up, panting breaths quieted as she pressed her mouth shut. After an exchange of hand signals, they crept forward. A floorboard under Adiana's foot whined. They both froze. No sounds came from the other room. She lifted her foot off the floorboard, and they moved toward the doorway. He slowly poked his head around the corner.

"Dude, what the hell?" Dean and Adiana stepped into the room. Sam was putting an owl statue back on top of a bookshelf.

"Sorry. I got back a few minutes ago and I just was going to grab my laptop, but you two looked….busy, so I was about to get a book but this owl fell off."

"When did you come in? That door is pretty loud. I mean, did you hear anything?" she asked Dean. He didn't answer. She looked at him, noticing that he seemed to be having some kind of eye conversation with Sam. "Um, guys… something I should know?"

"Nope," said Dean. "I think we should leave Sam to his book. And he was just going. Right, Sam?"

"Right."

"You can stay here, Sam," Adiana assured him. "Dean was teaching me how to fight, and we just got a little distracted. Hey, how about you and me go a round?" Sam shrugged one shoulder, staring down at the ground.

"It's okay, really. I was…I forgot something at the store." Adiana frowned at Sam as he reached for a book without actually seeming to care which one he picked. Then it clicked. She turned and hit Dean on the shoulder.

"Ow. What was that for?"

"If you're going to tell your brother to stay away, just make it ten minutes and say it out loud. You don't need to make him feel guilty about it. Sam, you can stay," Adiana finished before heading back into the other room. Sam watched her go, grinning widely.

"What are you smiling about?" asked Dean, rubbing his shoulder.

"Only ten minutes?"

"Oh, shut up. She's just being nice to you."

"If you say so."

"Why don't we go into the other room, and we'll show Adiana what a real fight looks like?"

"I'll pass."

* * *

Between target practice, fist fighting and a beginner's workout routine that Sam and Dean put together, the two weeks in the cabin flew by. Adiana became better with a shotgun and was doing okay with the pistol too. The fist fighting… well, she was trying to wrestle very tall, very athletic men, but she was trying her damndest. The work-out routine would definitely help with that. She was grateful to have two helpful tutors to coach her every step of the way. Any initial worry that Dean was going to go easy on her quickly faded away. One day, he accidently swung hard enough that, when Adiana moved the wrong way, she got a bloody nose. Of course, he then spent the next several hours apologizing, even after her nose had stopped bleeding. Sam was a little lighter, letting her do forty-five push-ups, instead of fifty, or enabling her to get in a good punch every once in a while. Although she wouldn't be taking out wedigos or any other vicious creatures singlehandedly anytime soon, the Winchesters had given her a strong foundation.

Adiana woke up on the last day of their stay in the cabin, feeling sore all over. She rolled over in bed and blinked sleepily at the clock. It was nine twenty-seven. She sat up, stretching her sore back. Sam had gotten her up every day at five-thirty to go out on a run. She slipped out of bed and wandered into the next room, where Sam was sitting watching television.

"What happened to our run?"

"Figured you deserved a break. You've been working hard," Sam replied without peeling his eyes away from the screen.

"Really? Well, I'm not one to complain. Where's Dean?"

"The registration desk called about something, I'm not really sure what. He should be back any…" The front door opened, and Dean stepped through with a small package under his arm. "…and there he is."

"Morning, Sleeping Beauty."

"Morning," Adiana responded, sauntering over curiously. "What's in the package?"

"It's actually for you." He handed Adiana the box. It was addressed to Honey Ryder. He handed her a pocket knife, and she slit through the tape. Inside was a stack of IDs wrapped in a rubber band. She tore off the rubber band, staring at the picture of her face. She fanned through the identifications. There were police, wildlife service, F.B.I., emergency medical technician, homeland security and a dozen others. She looked up at Dean, eyes shining.

"If you're going to be a hunter, you're going to need those. Now you don't have to sit in the Impala all the time. I figured, since we were going to be in one place for a while, I'd have them mail-" Adiana had dropped the box and cut him off with a kiss.

"Thank you," she said, finally breaking away. "For-" She squinted down at the top ID. "A.S.S. American Society of Strippers. Really?"


	25. Houses of the Holy

**For my reviewers: Elm Treigh, JustKillMe21, chase83, Bloody Scarlett Cherry Blossom & Rosa4dean. ****Over 200 reviews, I can't believe it!**

Adiana walked briskly down the hallway of Rhode Island State Mental Hospital. She wore bright white scrubs and had one of her new IDs clipped to the breast pocket. The scrubs were Dean's. She'd had to pin the shirt up, so that she wasn't swimming in it and roll the pants several times. Hopfully no one would notice. In fact, she was simply hoping no one would notice her at all. She'd only had to interact with one of the nurses at the check-in desk.

Sam, claiming to be one of the nurses, had called in sick and said he had gotten a replacement. Adiana arrived an hour before the usual nurse's shift with the excuse that he had told her the wrong time. The head nurse told her that it was quite alright and had handed her a list of patients for the day. Adiana had it attached to her clipboard, along with a list of questions she had carefully constructed for Gloria Sytnik. She reached room two thirty-five, Gloria's room, and pushed open the door.

The room was dimly lit, the light barely inching past the bars over the window. Gloria sat on the edge of her bed, a book open in her hands. She was wearing a long deep-green sweater that seemed to swallow her thin body. Her dark blonde hair was limp and lines were etched into her face. Despite her frail appearance, she seemed relaxed. She turned her head as Adiana closed the door.

"Good morning. You're not the usual person."

"No, uh… just filling in. So how you feeling today, Gloria?"

"I've never felt better."

"So…nothing bothering you lately?"

"You mean, am I stark-raving cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs?" Adiana blushed, hands tightening around her clipboard.

"I didn't mean…" Gloria smiled.

"That's all right. I know what people must think." Adiana glanced down at the questions on her clipboard. Forget it. She'd be better off just winging this. There was a pale orange chair in front of the window. Adiana perched on the edge of it.

"But what do you think?

"I think what I saw was real."

"Do you think… could you tell me what happened?"

"It was all over the news." Gloria shrugged slightly. "I stabbed a man in the heart."

"Why?"

"Because it was God's will."

"So God told you to stab this man?"

"I get the sense God's a little busy for house calls," Gloria said but without any hint of bitterness. "No. He…He sent someone."

"Who?"

"An angel. It came to me in this beautiful, white light." Gloria paused for a moment, her eyes slightly unfocused, remembering. "And… it filled me with this feeling. It's hard to describe."

"And this angel, he…"

"Spoke God's word. Look, what I did was very important. I helped him smite an evil man. I was chosen for redemption."

"Redemption for what?" Gloria just stared at Adiana. "Right, sorry. Not my business. This man you stabbed, did the angel tell you his name?"

"No. He just told me to wait for the sign, and the very next day I saw it, right beside the man's doorway. And I knew."

"Do you know why you had to kill him?"

"I just know what the angel told me, that this man was guilty to his deepest foundations. And that was good enough for me."

"Okay, Gloria," said Adiana, standing up. "I think that's enough for today."

"Goodbye, Nurse… You didn't tell me your name."

"Maggie. Nurse Maggie J. Houlihan." Gloria's quiet laughter followed her out the door. Adiana glanced down at her ID. She was going to have to remember to look up exactly who all these aliases were. She walked back down the hallway to the front desk. The head nurse was flipping through a stack of files.

"Yes?"

"I'm really sorry. I left my glasses in the car. I was in such a rush to get in this morning. Could I go get them?"

"Make it quick, Ms. Houlihan."

"Yes ma'am." Adiana breathed a huge sigh of relief as she opened the door to the hospital and made her way down the front steps and across the parking lot. She opened the passenger door of the Impala.

"Hey, how'd it go?" asked Sam as Adiana shut the door.

"Good. I don't think anyone suspected me, and I think Gloria really believes she saw an angel." Sam started up the Impala and backed out of the parking space.

"Huh. I didn't find anything suspicious at her apartment, either."

"You went to her apartment? I thought you were going to find a motel and stay there with Dean to make sure he didn't sneak off somewhere."

"I figured he's got food and pay-per-view TV. He'll be fine. So Gloria really believes she saw an angel?"

"Really, really." Sam and Adiana didn't say another word on the way back, both lapsing into a thoughtful silence. Angels. Adiana had been raised Lutheran. She believed in God and angels. At least, she thought she did. But angels telling someone to kill? And why would they appear here and now? It didn't make any sense. If, and that was a big if, there really was an angel there must be a reason for it to be here. Well, they'd just have to work it like a case unless they had reason to believe otherwise. Gloria had seemed so sure though.

The Impala pulled into the Hideaway Motel's parking lot, and its rumbling ceased as Sam turned the keys in the ignition. Adiana followed him to a bright red door, which he unlocked. She heard a loud humming and glanced over her shoulder, half expecting to see a swarm of bees. No wait. The sound was coming from inside the room. She stepped into the doorway and around the short glass wall.

Dean was laying on one of the beds, a contented grin on his lips. He had ear buds plugged into his phone and was no doubt listening to some classic rock band, but that wasn't the cause for his obvious pleasure. The bed was vibrating causing the soft buzzing sound Adiana had heard. An attachment next to the bed read 'Magic Fingers: Tingling Relaxation and Ease. Only 25¢'. Sam tried to get his brother's attention.

"Hey." Dean didn't respond. Sam hit him on the foot. "Hey!" Dean glanced at him.

"Hey. Man, you've gotta try this. I mean, there really is magic in the Magic Fingers." Dean waggled his fingers for emphasis.

"Dean…you're enjoying that way too much." Sam tried not to look at his brother. "It's kind of making me uncomfortable."

"What am I supposed to do?" asked Dean, sitting up. "You've got me on lockdown here. I'm bored out of my skull."

"Hey, you were the bank robber on the eleven o'clock news, not me. We can't risk you just walking into a government facility."

"Hmm. Hey babe, we have to try this later." Adiana crossed her arms with an amused expression.

"What do you need me for? That bed seems to be working for you just fine." Dean shrugged and fell back on the pillow. She went to wash her hands, the humming finally stopping as she dried her hands on a towel.

"Aw, damn it. That was my last quarter. You got any quarters?"

"No!" Sam practically shouted.

"Adiana?"

"Sorry," she apologized, coming out of the bathroom. Dean sighed.

"So, did you get in to see that crazy hooker?"

"Yup, but… I don't know. She didn't really seem crazy to me."

"She seriously believes she was touched by an angel?"

"Yeah. Blinding light and everything. I mean, she's living in a mental hospital, but she's totally at peace."

"Oh yeah, you're right. Sounds completely sane. What about the dude she stabbed?"

"Uh yeah, Carl…Carl…"

"Carl Gulley," helped Sam.

"Right. She said she killed him because he was evil."

"Was he?"

"Sam did the research on that."

"I don't know." Sam shook his head. "I couldn't find any dirt on him. I mean, he didn't have a criminal record. He worked at the campus library. He had lots of friends. He was a churchgoer."

"Hmm." Dean stood up, pacing thoughtfully. "So then Gloria's just your standard-issue wacko. I mean, she wouldn't be the first nut job in history to kill in the name of religion, know what I mean?"

"No, but she's the second in town to murder because an angel told them to. Little bit odd, don't you think?"

"Well odd, yes. Supernatural, maybe. But angels? I don't think so."

"Why not?" asked Adiana.

" 'Cause there's no such thing." Sam let out a frustrated sigh.

"Dean, there's ten times as much lore about angels as there is about anything else we've ever hunted."

"Yeah, and you know what, there's a ton of lore on unicorns, too. In fact, I hear that they ride on silver moonbeams, and they shoot rainbows outta their ass." Adiana and Sam looked at each other and back to Dean, their eyes wide with shock.

"Wait…" started Adiana.

"There's no such thing as unicorns?" Sam sat down on the bed, pouting. Dean rolled his eyes.

"That's cute. I'm just saying man, there's some legends that you just file under bull crap."

"And you've got angels on the bull crap list?"

"Yep." Adiana began pulling off her white medical uniform, her regular clothing already on underneath.

"Why?" she questioned, sitting down on the other bed to unroll the pant bottoms.

"Because I've never seen one."

"So? I've never seen a werewolf, but they exist, right?"

"So, I believe in what I can see."

"Dean, you and I have seen things most people couldn't even dream about," Sam huffed.

"Exactly, with our own eyes. That's hard proof, okay? But in all this time, I have never seen anything that looks like an angel. And don't you think that if they existed, that we would have crossed paths with them, or at least know someone that crossed paths with them? No. This is a demon or a spirit. They find people a few fries short of a Happy Meal, and they trick them into killing these randoms."

"Maybe." Dean rubbed his forehead in frustration.

"Can we just...I'm going stir-crazy, man. Hey, let's go by Gloria's apartment, huh?"

"I was just there. Nothing. No sulfur, no EMF."

"You didn't see any fluffy, white wing feathers?"

"Ha ha."

"There is one thing he didn't look for though," interjected Adiana contemplatively. "Gloria said the angel gave her a sign beside Carl Gulley's doorway."

"Could be something at his house. It's worth checking out," said Dean, eager to go anywhere.

* * *

The house was a small, two-floor building with maroon siding. Thin black railings led up to a porch surrounded by white, wooden pillars. The inside of the house was barely visible through the windows. The clouds blocking out the sun wasn't helping the lighting any. Dean parked the Impala on the curb in front of the house, and they all got out.

"Oh, hey, Sam. I think I found it." Dean pointed to the porch. A white plastic angel, about half the size of the door, rested against the wall. "That's a sign from up above." Sam shoved his hands in his pockets and said nothing. Adiana kept her mouth shut as well, but this was beginning to get irritating. She didn't mind that Dean didn't believe in God or angels, but he shouldn't make fun of Sam for it. _"_Well, I think I've learned a valuable lesson. Always take down your Christmas decorations after New Year's or you might get filleted by a hooker from God. Ha!"

"I'm laughing on the inside," mumbled Sam, trying to peer into the upper windows.

Adiana sighed. She glanced over into the garden next to the house, her eyes resting on the padlocked doors that led down to the cellar. Something made her pause. Gloria had said something about…what? She had been talking about the sign and then… She opened the gate and went into the garden, stopping in front of the cellar doors. Dean noticed her move away. He nudged Sam and gestured for them to follow. She stared hard at the doors. The boys were quiet, sensing that she needed to think. She wound and unwound a strand of hair around her finger. Why these doors? Gloria had said… Oh.

"Gloria said the guy was guilty to his deepest foundations."

"You think she literally meant the foundation?" quizzed Dean.

"It's worth a shot, right?"

"Could be." Dean went to the Impala and came back with three flashlights and a small lock pick. He handed a flashlight to Sam and Adiana before crouching down to break open the small padlock. It clicked open, and he pulled it off, opening the wooden doors. The trio stepped down into the cellar, their flashlights barely reaching through the blackness. Adiana slid along one of the walls, the light passing over tools hung on nails and screws. The air was thick and musty, and Adiana coughed, holding a hand up to her mouth

"Hey," beckoned Sam. Dean's flashlight beam swung over.

"You got something?" He and Adiana crept to where Sam had stooped down, the beams of their flashlights meeting on the wall. Four long white scratch marks led to a point on the wall where Sam was digging with his hand. He pulled something away. "What is it?"

"It's a fingernail." Adiana's nose crinkled in disgust. The nail was caked in dirt, and there appeared to be old, caked-on blood. Dean grabbed a shovel from the corner and handed one over to Sam and kept the other for himself. Adiana kept her flashlight trained on the floor, so they could see.

They dug for about fifteen minutes when Sam's shovel hit something. He stopped and brushed the dirt away. It was a leg bone. Carefully, Sam and Dean dug around the bone, finally revealing an entire skeleton. They stepped out of the hole, turning their flashlights back on to get a better look at the skeleton.

"So much for the innocent, church-going librarian," said Sam. Dean nodded.

"Yeah, well, whatever spoke to Gloria about this knew what it was talking about. I'll give you that." Adiana wondered who this person was and if there was someone still searching for them.

"So um, do we just leave it like this or…"

"Yeah we'll leave it," decided Dean. "Someone's bound to find it and then they can tell the person's family. Give them some closure. Course we'll have to wipe our prints off these shovels."

"Right."

"Then, we'll drop Dean off at the motel, and we'll do some research on missing persons at the library," suggested Sam to Adiana.

"Come on, I'm not getting left behind again. There's not even any quarters left!" protested Dean.

"Okay, okay I'll stay with you," soothed Adiana. "But we're going to do research. Sam, if you look at newspapers in the library, I'll use my laptop and check online. Deal?"

"Deal," agreed Dean quickly.

"Alright, deal," Sam laughed.

* * *

"Did you bring quarters?" Sam looked down at his brother who was sitting on the edge of the bed, gazing eagerly back at him. He glanced over at the Magic Fingers coin slot and back at Dean.

"Dude, I'm not enabling your sick habit." He threw two burgers wrapped in foil at Dean. "You're like one of those lab rats that pushes the pleasure button instead of the food button until it dies." Dean narrowed his eyes, putting one of the burgers next to Adiana who was stretched out on the bed surfing the web.

"What are you talking about? I eat. And I've got news." He held up a police radio. Sam sat down on the bed across from him.

"Me too."

"Alright, you go first." Sam pulled a notepad out of his pocket.

"Three students have disappeared off the college campus this year. All of them were last seen at the library."

"Where Carl Gulley worked?"

"Yup."

"Sick bastard."

"So, Gloria's angel-"

"Angel?" scoffed Dean.

"Okay, whatever this thing is-"

"Well, whatever it is, it struck again." Sam blinked in confusion.

"What?"

"I was listening to the police radio before you got here. There was this guy, Zach Smitt, some local drunk. He went up to a stranger's front door last night, this guy Frank, stabbed him in the heart."

"And then I'm guessing he went to the police and confessed?"

"Yep. Roma Downey made him do it. Now, I, uh…" Dean turned around and pulled a yellow post-it note off the back of Adiana's computer. "I got the victim's address."

"Alright, we'll check it out. Adiana. Adiana?" Adiana shut her laptop.

"Sorry, what?"

"Anything else?"

"Uh, I mean I found that address…Look, I found a few quarters. Oh get your mind out of the gutter!" she exclaimed as Sam cringed. "It was really relaxing. You should try it. I fell asleep."

"Yeah, that kind of backfired," Dean sighed.

"Okay, so anyway. Mr. Smitt's house, yes?"

* * *

After searching through the first floor of the house, Adiana hadn't found anything that would suggest suspicious behavior. Maybe Dean had found something on the second floor or Sam, in Frank's computer. She took the stairs up to Frank's study where Sam was still searching on the computer.

"Find anything?"

"Nope." Dean entered the room behind her, carrying a handful of magazines.

"Well, Frank liked his catalogue shopping, that's about all I got. You?"

"Not much here, except he's got this one locked file on his computer that I…hold on." His fingers flew over the keys, and the computer beeped. Sam grinned. "Not anymore. God…"

"What?" Dean asked, moving to better see the screen. Adiana began to read the first e-mail.

"All these e-mails. Dozens to this lady named Jennifer." He clicked on the next e-mail. "This lady who's thirteen years old."

"Oh, I don't wanna hear this."

"Looks like they met in a chat room. These e-mails are pretty personal. Setting up a time and place to meet."

"Well, that's never a good idea," muttered Adiana.

"Great," said Dean, folding his arms.

"They were supposed to meet today."

"Huh. I guess if you're gonna stab someone…good timing. I don't know, man. This is weird. I mean, sure, some spirits are out for vengeance, but this one's almost like a do-gooder. Like an…"

"Avenging angel?" suggested Adiana. Dean didn't answer her. He walked around the desk, jamming his hands in his coat pockets.

"Well, how else do you explain it, Dean?" asked Sam, angrily. "Three guys, not connected to each other, all stabbed through the heart? At least two were world-class pervs, and I bet if you dug deep enough on the other guy-"

"Hey." Dean grabbed a paper off of a bulletin board hanging on the wall. Sam clenched his jaw in frustration, taking a deep breath before responding.

"What?"

"You said Carl Gulley was a churchgoer, right?"

"Yeah."

"What was the name of his church?"

"Uh…Our Lady of the Angels."

"Of course that'd be the name." Dean flipped the paper for Sam and Adiana to see. It had a bright blue headline with the church's name. "Looks like Frank went to the same church."

* * *

"Well, you're in luck because the thirteenth of next month is open." Adiana and Dean followed Father Reynolds down a thick red carpet that took them through the center of Our Lady of the Angels. The building was huge and gothic in design with enough pews to seat well over a hundred people.

"That's great. We were really worried that we were going to have to move everything around. We were going to have the wedding back home, but then she got a job offer up here, so we packed up and left," Dean informed the priest, taking Adiana's hand. She gave his hand a small squeeze. Father Reynolds, an aging man dressed in a black priest suit, smiled at them.

"I understand. Where did you say you lived before?" Father Reynolds stopped and turned to them. Dean had an answer ready.

"Premont, Texas."

"Yup," nodded Adiana.

"Really? That's a nice town. St. Theresa's Parish, you must know the priest there." Adiana glanced up at Dean, slightly panicked. They were in Rhode Island, and they would meet the one priest who knew another priest in that obscure town.

"Sure, yeah. That's, uh…" Dean faltered. "Father O'Malley."

"I know a Father Shaughnessy."

"Shaughnessy, exactly. What did I say?"

"We're just happy to be here now, Father," commented Adiana quickly.

"And we're happy to have you. We could use some young blood around here."

"Mm. Hey, listen, I've gotta ask you," started Dean. "You know, we got this nice house, but… no offense, but the neighborhood?

"It's gone to seed a little, there's no denying that. But that's why what the church does here is so important. Like I always say, you can expect a miracle, but in the meantime you work your butt off."

"Yeah, we heard about the murders."

"Yes. The victims were parishioners of mine. I've known them for years."

"And the killers said that an angel made them do it?" asked Adiana.

"Yes, misguided souls. To think that God's messenger would appear and incite people to murder. It's tragic."

"So, you don't believe in those angel yarns, huh?" said Dean with relief. Adiana had to stop herself from rolling her eyes. Of course, he believed in angels.

"Oh, no. I absolutely believe. It kind of goes with the job description." Trust Dean to make this an awkward situation. There had to be some type of diversion.

"Father, who's in that painting over there?"Adiana pointed to a large painting of an angel, clasping what looked like a long spear.

"The Archangel Michael with the flaming sword: the fighter of demons, holy force against evil."

"So, they're not really all peaceful… They can be fierce, right?"

"I like to think of them as more loving than wrathful. But yes, a lot of Scripture paints angels as God's warriors. 'An angel of the Lord appeared to them. The glory of the Lord shone down upon them, and they were terrified.'" Adiana and Dean nodded as Father Reynolds stared at them expectantly. When they didn't respond, he finished, "Luke two nine".

"Right, of course," laughed Adiana with a small smile. "Well, we don't want to take up too much of your time so…"

"Oh, it's no trouble. I'll show you to the door." Father Reynolds accompanied them out the front door of the church and onto the steps.

"Thank you for speaking with us, Father."

"It's my pleasure. I hope to speak with you again soon. You have my contact information?"

"Yes, it's all online."

"Hey, Father, what's all that for?" questioned Dean, gesturing to the bottom of the steps. A section of the stone was covered in candles and pictures with a small cross standing in the front.

"Oh, that's for Father Gregory. He was a priest here."

"Was?"

"He passed away right on these steps. He's interred in the church crypt."

"When did this happen?"

"Two months ago. He was shot for his car keys."

"Oh geez. I'm sorry," offered Adiana.

"Yeah. Me too. He was a good friend. I didn't even have time to administer his Last Rites. But like I said, it's a tough neighborhood. Ever since he died, I've been praying my heart out."

"For what?"

"For deliverance from the violence and the bloodshed around here. We could use a little divine intervention, I suppose." Dean offered his hand to Father Reynolds who shook it.

"Well Padre, thanks. We'll see you again." Adiana shook the Father's hand as well, and he started back up the steps. Adiana and Dean went to the memorial. Sam joined them, having waited until he was sure the priest was gone to come out from behind the railing. "You heard?"

"Yup," affirmed Sam, staring down at a picture of Father Gregory.

"Now it's all starting to make sense. Devoted priest dies a violent death, that's vengeful spirit material right there. And he knew all the other stiffs because they all went to church here. In fact, I'm willing to bet it's because he was their priest. He knew things about them that nobody else knew."

"Then again, Father Reynolds started praying for God's help about two months ago, right? Right about the time all this started happening?"

"Oh, come on, man. What's your deal?"

"What do you mean?"

"Look I'll admit, I'm a bit of a skeptic. But, since when are you all Mr. Seven Hundred Club? Seriously, from the get-go you've been willing to buy this angel crap, man. What's next? You gonna start praying every day?" Dean put the picture of Father Gregory back. Sam opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again.

"I do."

"What?"

"I do pray every day. I have for a long time." Dean and Adiana were both taken aback. After how much Sam seemed to be rooting for this to be an angel, Adiana had figured he must believe in them, but she didn't think he was the praying type. Dean was even more surprised than she was.

"The things you learn about a guy. Huh. Come on. Let's go check out Father Gregory's grave."

The trio walked back up the steps and entered a side door labeled 'Crypt'. They went down a winding staircase to a corridor of stone. Small windows illuminated statues of saints and angels. It was silent, and Adiana stayed close to Dean. The statues seemed almost to be watching them. They moved through a second set of doors into a room with markers on two of the walls. One of them was Father Gregory's. Vines curled over the wall, trailing down next to his name.

"Now this is interesting," said Dean, touching the vines.

"What?" asked Adiana.

"Well this is – where's Sam?"

"He's right-" Adiana turned around but Sam wasn't behind her. "Maybe he saw something." They went back to the corridor.

"Sam come on, get the lead out…" Dean stopped when he saw Sam collapsed on the floor. "Sammy? Sam!" Dean ran to his brother and began to shake him. Adiana pulled out her cell about to call 911 when Sam groaned. "Hey! You okay?"

"Yeah…yeah. I'm okay." Sam sat up and gazed with awe at the angel statue in front of him.

"Come on." Dean helped Sam up. Adiana had no idea what was going on. Had Sam had a vision again? It had been so long since the last one. But then… She noticed the boys heading back out of the corridor and hastened to catch up. They all stopped in a small room that was used as the choir practice space. "You saw it, didn't you? Didn't you?"

"Yeah. Dean, I saw an angel." Sam sat on a bench, still half in a daze. Dean pulled a flask out of his coat and offered it to Sam. "I don't wanna drink." Dean shrugged and took a swig before putting it back.

"So…what makes you think you saw an angel?"

"It just…it appeared before me and I just…this feeling washed over me, you know? Like peace…like grace." Adiana to a seat next to Sam on the bench. An angel. An honest to goodness angel. Could it really be? Dean, however, was having none of it.

"Okay, Ecstasy Boy. Maybe we'll get you some glowsticks and a nice Dr. Seuss hat, huh?"

"Dean, I'm serious. It spoke to me. It knew who I was."

"It's just a spirit, Sam. And it's not the first one to be able to read people's minds. Let me guess…" Dean sat down on the bench next to the one Sam and Adiana were on. "You were personally chosen to smite some sinner. You've just gotta wait for some divine Bat Signal, is that it?"

"Yeah, actually."

"Great. I don't suppose you asked what this alleged bad guy did."

"Actually I did, Dean. And the angel told me he hasn't done anything. Yet. But he will."

"Oh, this is just…" Dean chuckled and stood up. "I don't believe this."

"Dean, the angel hasn't been wrong yet!" yelled Sam. "Someone's gonna do something awful, and I can stop it!"

"You know, you're supposed to be bad too, Sam. Maybe I should just stop you right now."

"You know what Dean, I don't understand! Why can't you even consider the possibility?"

"What, that this is an angel?"

"Yes! Maybe we're hunting an angel here, and we should stop! Maybe this is God's will!"

"Adiana, help me out here."

"I…I…" Adiana looked back and forth between the brothers, who were both returning her gaze anxiously. "I don't know what to think, okay? I mean, I believe in God and I believe in angels. And I don't pray every night, but I pray sometimes. And Sam I know that you think you saw an angel, and maybe it was and maybe it wasn't but… I'm beginning to feel like you're right." Sam let out a sigh of relief. Dean rubbed his jaw in aggravation.

"Okay, alright. You know what? I get it. You've both got faith. Hey, good for you. I'm sure it makes things easier. I'll tell you who else had faith like that: Mom. She used to tell me when she'd tuck me in that angels were watching over us. In fact, that was the last thing she ever said to me."

"You never told me that," whispered Sam.

"What's to tell? She was wrong. There was nothing protecting her. There's no higher power. There's no God. There's just chaos and violence and random, unpredictable evil that comes out of nowhere. It rips you to shreds. So, you want me to believe in this stuff? I'm gonna need to see some hard proof. You got any?" Both Adiana and Sam were silent. Adiana wanted to say something, but what can you really say to someone who's seen so much death? Still, she hated to see Dean's face turn into that mask it always did when he was trying to hide the fact that he was in pain. "Well, I do. Proof that we're dealing with a spirit. We're going back down to the grave." Dean turned his back on Adiana and Sam, opening the door to the staircase. They glanced sideways at each other before getting up and going back down to Father Gregory's grave. Sam reached out to touch the vines.

"That looks like-"

"It's wormwood, a plant associated with the dead, specifically the ones that are not at rest. I don't see it growing anywhere else, except over the murdered priest's marker. It's him, Sam."

"Maybe."

"Maybe?"

"Dean, I don't know what to think."

"Okay. You want some more proof? I'll give you more proof."

"How?"

"We'll summon Gregory's spirit."

"In the church? Will it work?" queried Adiana.

"Yeah. We just need a few odds and ends and that séance ritual in Dad's journal," informed Dean heading for the door.

"Ha! A séance, great. I hope Whoopi's available," said Sam with a smirk.

"That's funny, actually. Seriously. If Father Gregory's spirit is around, the séance will bring him right to us. If it's him, then we'll put him to rest."

"But if it's an angel, it won't show. Nothing will happen."

"Exactly. That's one of the perks of the job, Sam. We don't have to operate on faith. We can know for sure. Don't you wanna know for sure?" Sam thought for a moment then nodded.

* * *

"Dude, all right. I'll admit, we've gone pretty ghetto with spell work before, but this takes the cake." Sam shuffled the paper bag he was carrying between his hands. "I mean, a SpongeBob placemat instead of an altar cloth?"

"We should have gotten the Little Mermaid one," said Adiana, a bit disappointedly. "It would have been better."

"We'll just put it SpongeBob-side down." Dean shrugged as he walked to the Impala. Sam laughed, but stopped abruptly.

"Guys, that's it."

"What?"

"That's the sign." Adiana turned to look. A man stood alone, waiting to cross the street. There didn't seem to be anything special about him or around him for that matter. Dean didn't see anything, either.

"Where?"

"Right there, right behind that guy. That's him, Dean. We have to stop him." The cross-walk sign signaled it was safe, and the man began to cross the street. Sam started after him, but Dean stopped him.

"Wait a minute!"

"What are you doing? Let me go."

"You're not gonna go kill somebody because a ghost told you to. Are you insane?"

"Dean, I'm not insane. I'm not gonna kill him. I'm gonna stop him."

"Define 'stop,' huh? What are you gonna do?" The man got into his car and started the engine.

"Dean, please. He's gonna hurt someone, you know it."

"Maybe he's right, Dean," Adiana suggested. "Father Gregory can wait. The least we can do is follow this guy." Dean thought it over.

"Alright, come on." He unlocked the driver's door to the Impala and got in. Adiana put her hand on the door handle, waiting for him to unlock it. Instead, Dean started the car.

"Dean, unlock my door," demanded Sam.

"You're not killing anyone, Sam. I've got this guy, you go do the séance. Take Adiana with you. It'll be good for both of you. Besides, this is her first real hunt."

"Dean!"

"Dean, be careful," advised Adiana, knowing it was no use trying to stop him.

"Don't worry. Keep an eye on that one." Dean jerked his head toward Sam before pulling away after the man. Adiana shook her head.

"Let's go. It's at least a fifteen-minute walk."

Adiana lit the last candle and blew out the match. She was crouched in front of Father Gregory's grave with Sam. They had placed the candles, six white around a larger black one, on top of the upside-down placemat. The flames flickered eerily in the small crypt. She took some of the crushed-up herbs out of a bowl into her hands as he began to read a chant from his dad's journal. When Sam nodded, she threw the herbs into the black candle's flame and it sparked momentarily bright, flaring up almost to eye-level.

"What are you doing?" They spun around. Father Reynolds was standing in the doorway. "What is this?"

"Uh…Father, please. I can explain." Sam stood up, putting the journal on the floor. "Um…" He looked to Adiana, who shrugged helplessly. "Actually, maybe I can't. This is a séance."

"A séance? Young man, you are in the House of God," said Father Reynolds, angrily.

"It's based on early Christian rites, if that helps any."

"Enough! You're both coming with me." He beckoned to Adiana, who got up and walked over next to Sam.

"Father, please, just wait-" The room was suddenly filled with a brilliant white light. Adiana squinted, barely making out the form of a man.

"Oh my God." Father Reynolds stared into the light, amazed. "Is that…is that an angel?"

"No, it's not. It's just Father Gregory," observed Sam, in bitter disappointment. The light began to fade, and in its place was a man Adiana recognized as Father Gregory from the picture.

"Thomas?" Father Reynolds spluttered in disbelief. Father Gregory smiled.

"I've come in answer to your prayers. Sam, I thought I sent you on your path. You should hurry."

"Father, I'm sorry," said Sam, approaching Father Gregory, "But you're not an angel."

"Of course I am."

"No, you're a man. You're a spirit. And you need to rest."

"I was a man. But now, I'm an angel. I was on the steps of the church, and I felt that bullet pierce right through me. But there was no pain. And, suddenly, I could see…everything. Father Reynolds, I saw you, praying and crying here. I came to help you."

"Help me, how?" Father Gregory smiled, and then Father Reynolds understood. "Those murders…that was because of you?"

"I received the word of God. He spoke to me, told me to smite the wicked. I'm carrying out his will."

"You're driving innocent people to kill."

"Those innocent people are being offered redemption." He turned to look at Sam. "Some people need redemption. Don't they, Sam?"

"How can you call this redemption?"

"You can't understand it now. But the rules of man and the rules of God are two very different things."

"But those people," said Adiana softly, "They're locked up now. And they're never going to get out."

"No, they're happy. They've found peace, beaten their demons. And I've given them the keys to heaven."

"No, no! This is vengeance. It's wrong," insisted Father Reynolds. "Thomas, this goes against everything you believed. You're lost, misguided."

"Father…no, I'm not misguided."

"You are not an angel, Thomas. Men cannot be angels."

"But…but I don't understand." Father Gregory sounded unsure for the first time. "You prayed for me to come."

"I prayed for God's help, not this. What you're doing is not God's will. 'Thou shalt not kill.' That's the word of God." Father Gregory turned, looking down at his grave, his shoulders beginning to shake. When he turned back, he seemed to almost have tears in his eyes.

"Let us help you," offered Sam.

"No."

"It's time to rest, Thomas, to be at peace," asserted Father Reynolds. "Please…let me give you Last Rites." Father Gregory was silent, reflecting on himself, his options. Adiana watched him carefully, hoping he would agree, unsure if he would. He finally nodded. Father Reynolds held out his hands, palms facing upward. "O, holy hosts above, I call upon thee as a servant of Christ to sanctify our actions this day, in fulfillment of the will of God." He made the sign of the cross in the air. Father Gregory began to flicker, slowly at first, then more rapidly.

"Father Reynolds?" Father Gregory's voice was full of fear.

"Rest." Father Reynolds held one hand out, and Father Gregory knelt on the ground close to his hand. "I call upon the Archangel Raphael, master of the air, to make open the way. Let the fire of the Holy Spirit now descend that this being might be awakened to the world beyond." Father Gregory was consumed in a shining white light. It burned for a few seconds and then faded away.

* * *

Adiana and Sam were packing their bags when Dean entered the room. Sam had barely spoken since they'd left the church. Adiana had tried to get him to talk.

"Weeks of training, and I don't even get to use any of it," she joked. Sam had barely smiled, and Adiana didn't blame him. It would have been nice if there had really been an angel, proof that there was something good watching over them in this world. She still had hope, though. Dean shut the door, putting the Impala's keys in his pocket.

"How was your day?"

"You were right," Sam admitted with a sigh. "It wasn't an angel. It was Gregory." Dean pulled the flask out of his coat, taking a long drink. He handed it to Sam, who accepted it this time, knocking back a swig. He then offered it to Adiana, but she shook her head. "I don't know, Dean. I just…I wanted to believe so badly." Sam sat down on the bed. "It's so damn hard to do this…what we do. All alone, you know? There's so much evil out in the world, Dean. I feel like I could drown in it. And when I think about my destiny, when I think about how I could end up…"

"Yeah well, don't worry about that, alright? I'm watching out for you."

"And I am too," said Adiana, sitting on the bed behind Sam.

"Yeah, I know you are. But you're just two people. And I needed to think that there was something else watching too, you know? Some…higher power, some greater good. And then maybe…"

"Maybe what?" asked Dean.

"Maybe I could be saved." Adiana felt herself tearing up as she watched Sam, his eyes filled with frustration."But, uh…" Sam laughed resignedly. "You know, I just clouded my judgment, and you're right. I mean, we've gotta go with what we know, with what we can see, with what's right there in front of our own two eyes."

"Yeah, well, it's funny you say that." Adiana looked up at Dean, who seemed to be struggling with something. She almost got up but felt like she shouldn't move.

"Why?" questioned Sam.

"Gregory's spirit gave you some pretty good information. The guy in the car was bad news. I barely got there in time."

"What happened?"

"He's dead."

"Did you…"

"No. But I'll tell you one thing…the way he died, if I hadn't seen it with my own two eyes, I never would've believed it. I mean…I don't know what to call it."

"Dean, what did you see?" asked Adiana.

"Maybe…" Dean was shaking, his hands clutching the side of the table he was leaning against. "God's will."


	26. Born Under a Bad Sign Part I

**For my reviewers: chase83, JustKillMe21 & Elm Treigh**

Adiana's eyes fluttered open. She sat up slowly, careful not to wake Dean and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She glanced over at the clock. 5:45. She was tempted, as always, to just lay back down and catch a few more minutes of sleep, but if that happened she probably wouldn't wake up until much later. It was best to run in the mornings because it was still cool, but really it was because it was her only chance before they hit the road. So she slid out from under the sheets and grabbed her bag before heading into the bathroom. She changed into shorts and a tank top and pulled her hair up in a ponytail. Brushing her teeth with one hand, she went back to the main room to put her bag away. That's when she noticed that Sam's bed was empty.

Often Sam would get up early too and go with Adiana on her run, but he'd never gone on his own before. Maybe he'd been hungry and went to the vending machine or something. Adiana rinsed out her mouth in the sink and sat on the edge of Sam's bed to put on her running shoes. He'd probably be there when she got back. She stood up and stretched her legs, warming up all her muscles. A hotel key was out on the table, so she grabbed it, looking back over her shoulder one last time as she opened the front door. Dean had sprawled out on the bed, his face buried in her pillow. She smiled and shut the door quietly behind her.

The Impala was still parked in front of their room, so wherever Sam was it couldn't be far. Once Adiana made it to the sidewalk, she started to jog. The sun had already crept over the horizon, but the air was still chilly. Not many people were walking about at this time on a Thursday morning, but plenty of cars passed with people on their way to work. She ran until she started seeing children waiting at their bus stops, realizing that she'd been out a lot longer than she had intended without feeling any extra burn. At least this meant she was gaining leg muscle.

Adiana stopped two blocks away from the motel at a local restaurant. She got three breakfast sandwiches and home fries to go, which a smiling older woman gave to her in a large bag. Then, she went into the next-door Starbucks to grab three coffees: one caramel mocha latte with extra cream for Sam and two black coffees for Dean and herself. Honestly, she didn't know how people drank lattes. They were more like a dessert than anything. She got a cardboard cup holder for the coffees and walked back to the motel. The coffees had to be set down on the sidewalk so that she could take out the key and open the door. She held the door ajar with her foot, picking the coffees back up, setting them all on the table inside. Sam was still M.I.A., but Adiana wasn't terribly worried. He'd show up. Dean slept soundly in exactly the same position she'd seen him last, so she went to the bathroom to take a shower. When she came out, he was propped up against a pillow, eating a sandwich and watching a rerun of JAG.

"Where's Sam?" asked Dean, reaching for his coffee on the nightstand, eyes still glued to the television.

"No idea. He was gone when I went for my run this morning. Did he say anything to you about going somewhere?"

"Nope. Illallhmaferis."

"Sorry?" Dean swallowed the food in his mouth.

"I'll call him after this. This was the best episode of the whole show." Adiana rubbed a towel vigorously against her hair. Well at least he didn't seem worried.

"Do you want me to call him?"

"Naw, he's probably out at the library or whatever. He mentioned something yesterday about going."

"Okay then." Adiana tossed the small towel onto a chair and unwrapped the larger one from around her body so she could dry off her skin. With that completed, she threw on some clothes from her bag. She turned back to Dean to find him watching her with a breakfast sandwich paused half way to his mouth. "I thought this was the best episode ever." Dean shrugged.

"Found something I like watching better."

"Really now?" She sauntered over to the bed and crawled on top of the covers, straddling Dean's waist as she hovered over him. "Guess I'd better keep it interesting for you then." Dean's eyes followed her tongue as it darted across her bottom lip, and then he took a huge bite of his sandwich. She sat up and huffed.

"How's the sandwich?"

"Good," he replied through the mouthful of egg and bacon. She shook her head and slid off of him, falling back onto the mattress.

"Nothing gets between you and food, does it?"

"Hey, I'm trying to finish it as fast as I can here." She smiled and scooted up, resting on his shoulder.

"No, Sam will probably be back soon anyway. Wouldn't want to scar the poor guy." She brought the back of a hand to her mouth as she yawned. Lord, she was still tired. Maybe she could fit in a few more minutes of sleep. Dean's chest was really warm.

"He's already been scarred, one more won't kill the kid." Dean managed to finish his sandwich in a few more bites and some power chews. "I'm done with the food…. Adiana…. Babe?" He glanced down at her. Her eyes were closed, and she was definitely asleep. Oh well. He turned the television volume down and, with as little movement as possible, reached for Sam's sandwich.

* * *

"Sammy, where are you? Pick up your phone…. Alright. Well, call as soon as you get this." Adiana heard Dean's voice in her ear before she'd even opened her eyes. She tilted her head up towards him. Unlike earlier, his face was tense and apprehensive. Sam still wasn't back then.

"He's not answering his phone?"

"No." Dean stared at his phone as if that could make it ring. "And his phone's off."

"The Impala's still here, so unless he stole a car he can't have gone far. Do you want to go ask around town? I'll stay here in case he comes back."

"Yeah." Dean got out of bed and threw on his clothing before practically running out the door. Adiana grabbed the remote and began to flick through the channels. This was the second time Sam had disappeared. Someone really needed to put a leash on the guy or a tracker or something. He'd show up soon because she had no idea where they were going to start looking if he didn't.

Unfortunately, he didn't turn up. Dean called Adiana every few hours, but Sam hadn't returned to the motel. Dean finally came back around midnight. He wrote out a list of contacts for them to split and begin calling. She suggested they wait until morning. After all, Sam might still come back and most people didn't appreciate being called in the middle of the night. Dean shook his head and said that night when most of the hunters were awake, so they began dialing. No one had seen or heard from Sam.

The next week was a nightmare. Dean drove around the surrounding towns searching for Sam. Adiana stayed at their motel on the off chance that Sam would return. They kept calling people, checking and re-checking in. She was anxious about Sam, but Dean was even more worried. He barely slept at all. After the first day, he'd gone off for three days to two of the neighboring towns. When he got back, he had such dark circles under his eyes that Adiana threatened to knock him out herself if he didn't take a nap at least. He fell asleep for several hours, but Adiana could tell he was still restless, tossing and turning in the sheets. The longer Sam was gone, the worse it became.

* * *

"Adiana. Adiana!"

"Huh? What?" Adiana lifted her head off of the motel table. She had been calling more hunters and stopped to take a break. Must have fallen asleep. She looked over at Dean who was throwing all of her stuff into her bag. "What's going on?"

"Sam called."

"Thank God. Is he okay?"

"He was pretty upset about something, but he's alive. Come on. We gotta go." She grabbed the hotel keys and sprinted to the front desk to check out. The Impala was idling outside the door as she came out, and she hopped in. Dean gunned the engine, and they flew out of town.

A drive which would have normally taken about four hours, they made in just under two and a half. Dean pulled into the first empty parking space and shut off the Impala's engine. He barreled through the front door, Adiana barely keeping up with him. He walked past the front desk down a long corridor. Each door had a gold plate with a number, and he counted them, looking for the right number. He stopped in front of room 109 and knocked.

"Sam, it's me." Sam didn't come to the door. Dean knocked again. "Sam!" He tried the door handle. The door swung open, and Dean and Adiana entered the room. Sam sat on the edge of one of the beds, staring down at his hands folded in his lap. "Sam? Hey."

"Hey, Dean." Sam's voice was barely about a whisper.

"Are you bleeding?" asked Adiana, noticing the blood on his hands. She reached out and took one of his hands. The blood was stained deep into his skin, almost purple in patches. He didn't seem to have any scratches.

"I tried to wash it off."

"Oh my God," said Dean, pulling back Sam's jacket to reveal his bloodstained shirt. He touched it. It was dry.

"I don't think it's my blood."

"Whose is it?"

"I don't know."

"Sam, what the hell happened?"

"Dean…" Sam looked up at his brother for the first time. "I don't remember anything."

"Nothing?"

"No Dean I…I don't remember a thing." Dean took a deep breath.

"Alright, I'm going to ask around, see if anyone noticed you. Adiana, you help Sam get cleaned up." Dean tossed the Impala's keys to Adiana before leaving the room.

"I'm going to get the cleaning supplies out of the Impala. Sam, I'll be right back." Sam nodded absently. Adiana went to the Impala and shoved Lysol and Tide Stain Remover into Sam's bag. When she got back to the room, Sam still hadn't moved from the bed. "Okay. Sam? I'm going to need to you strip for me," demanded Adiana with a teasing grin, trying to get Sam to smile. He didn't, but he did pull his shirt and undershirt off. Adiana took the shirts and handed him the bottle of Lysol. "Wash your hands with this." Sam got up to scrub his hands in the sink. In the meantime, Adiana poured some of the Tide on the shirts. She began scouring the fabric while trying very hard not to think about whose blood was on this shirt. Eventually Sam came out of the bathroom, his hands raw but clean.

"Thanks," he said as Adiana passed him.

"Of course." She filled the sink with water and put the shirts in to soak. She came back out of the bathroom, and Sam was buttoning up a shirt from his bag. "We'll figure this out, Sam. I'm just glad we found you. We were going out of minds trying to locate you. I thought Dean was going to have a mental breakdown. But that's not what's important," she corrected quickly as Sam drooped guiltily. "It'll sort itself out."

"Adiana…I think I killed someone." Goosebumps prickled Adiana's arms.

"Sam…I thought you didn't remember anything."

"I don't, but…there's so much blood."

"We don't know anything. So until we find out, you can't think like that, alright? Okay?"

"Okay," Sam agreed after a long pause, but Adiana knew he was just going through the motions. Something very strange and very awful had happened. She hoped that it wasn't anything too terrible, but fear still tied her stomach in knots. If Sam had done anything to harm someone, he wouldn't forgive himself.

* * *

"What'd you find out?" Sam asked when Dean entered the room. Dean set a 2-liter bottle of Coke and a bag of fried food on the table.

"You checked in two days ago under the name Richard Sambora. Of course, I think the scariest part about this whole thing is the fact that you're a Bon Jovi fan."

"Dean," warned Adiana.

"Your room's been quiet. Nobody's noticed anything unusual."

"You mean no one saw me walking around, covered in blood?" inquired Sam skeptically.

"Yeah. That's what I mean." Dean pulled off his jacket and threw it on a chair. Sam paced toward the mirror.

"Then, how the hell did I get here Dean? What happened to me?"

"I don't know, alright? But you're okay. That's what matters. Everything else we can deal with."

"Oh, really? 'Cause what if I hurt someone? Or worse?"

"Sam…"

"What if this is what Dad warned you about?"

"Hey, whoa. Whoa. Come on, man, let's not jump the gun here. We don't know what happened. And we've just gotta treat this like any other job. What's the last thing you remember?"

"Just the three of us…just in that motel room in West Texas. I went out to grab some burgers and-"

"West Texas? That was over a week ago," said Adiana, in confusion.

"That's it." Sam leaned against the bureau. "Next thing I knew, I was sitting here, bloody. Felt like I'd been asleep for a month."

"Okay. Retrace your steps," suggested Dean. "The manager said you left yesterday afternoon and never saw you come back."

"So he would have had to find another way back in," concluded Adiana, slowly. She pulled back the curtains of the window she was standing next to. "There's blood on the latch." The boys moved closer to get a look. Sam reached out and pulled on the latch, the window sliding wide open. He poked his head out, looking around to make sure there was no one around, then stepped outside. Adiana and Dean came out after him, Dean shutting the window behind them. This side of the hotel faced the woods but it led right out into the parking lot.

"Recognize anything?" asked Dean.

"Not really." He stopped in front of the car storage building. "Wait."

"What?"

"I think I was here."

"You remember?" questioned Adiana.

"Not really, it just…feels familiar, you know?" Sam pointed at the unit with a large #2. "Try that one. Yeah." He put a hand in his coat pocket and paused. "Wait." Sam pulled out a small silver key, which Dean took. It fit into the unit lock and the trio pushed the door open. Inside was a small dark blue Volkswagen Beetle.

"Oh, please tell me you didn't steal this," muttered Dean in disappointment. They opened the car doors, examining the black leather interior. Sam checked the visor and wiped his hand along the steering wheel.

"More blood." Sam held up his hand for Dean and Adiana to see. Adiana, however, was occupied with what she saw in the backseat.

"That's not the only place there's blood." Sam reached back and pulled a hunting knife caked in blood from the backseat. He twisted it around in his hands.

"You think I used this on someone?" Adiana just stared at him. Dean frowned, trying not to look at the knife.

"I'm not thinking anything." Dean picked a pack of cigarettes off of the floor of the car.  
"Okay, now this is disturbing. Come on man, this couldn't have been you. It had to have been someone else, somebody who," he sniffed the cigarettes, "smokes menthols."

"Hey," started Sam, picking a receipt up from the floor. "Gas receipt, few towns over."

* * *

The Impala rumbled to a stop at the gas station, right next to the small convenience store called 'Tasty Express'. Dean turned off the engine.

"Alright, the receipt's for ten gallons at pump number two. You getting any goosebumps yet? God-this-looks-familiar, déjà-vu vibes?" Sam shook his head, gazing in through the windows of the Tasty Express. "Maybe someone inside will remember you. Come on." The trio got out of the car and entered the building. The clerk, a young man with the makings of a thin beard, looked up from the register. The second he saw Sam, he reached for the phone.

"You, outta here! Now! I'm calling the cops."

"You talking to him?" asked Dean, gesturing toward Sam.

"Yeah, I'm talking to him. Jerk comes in yesterday, stinkin' drunk, grabs a forty from the fridge, starts chugging."

"This guy?" Dean turned to Sam."You're drinking malt liquor?"

"Not after he whipped the bottle at my freakin' head." Adiana raised her eyebrows in disbelief.

"You're sure it was him?"

"What, am I speaking Urdu?" the clerk growled. Sam held his hands up apologetically.

"Look, I'm really sorry if I did anything-"

"You know what? Tell your story walking, pal. Popo will be here in five." The clerk began to dial, putting the phone up to his ear.

"Okay wait, he's leaving. He's leaving. Put the phone down." Dean nudged Sam towards the door. "Sam, go wait in the car."

"Dean…"

"Go wait in the car!" Sam huffed and stalked out the door. Dean smiled at the clerk. "Okay, look. I just wanna talk to you. That's it, okay?" The clerk considered Dean and Adiana, finally putting down the phone. "Now, when he took off yesterday which way did he go?"

"Why don't you ask him?"

"'Cause I'm asking you. Now please, you'd be doing me a huge favor, okay?"

"Oh, do you a favor? Well, that is what I live for. You know, your buddy didn't pay for the booze or the smokes, which he also illegally lit up."

"You saw him smoking?"

"Yeah. Guy's a chimney." Dean reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. He counted several bills and laid them on the counter.

"This ought to cover it." The clerk took the money and shoved it in his jeans.

"Mm…it's coming back to me now. He took two packs." Dean narrowed his eyes at the clerk.

"Of course he did." Dean reached to grab some more bills, but Adiana leaned forward against the counter looking up through her eyelashes at the clerk.

"You know it'd really mean the world to us if you'd just tell us which way he went. Well, me. It'd mean a lot to me." She smiled, biting down on the corner of her lip.

"He… he went north on Route seventy-one, s-s-straight out of town," the clerk stuttered. Adiana's smile widened.

"Thanks." She winked at the clerk. She added a little extra swing to her hips as she left the store. Dean came out after her, chewing on a Twix.

"Well, it'll be a while before he picks his jaw up off the floor," noted Dean in between bites. "Anytime we need information from a guy, you're comin'." Adiana laughed.

"It doesn't work as often as you'd think. He just looked the sexually frustrated type. I threw him a bone."

"I'm the sexually frustrated type."

"No, you're just the horny type. There's a difference."

"Okay," interrupted Sam. "Did you find out which way I went?"

"North on seventy-one," said Dean, putting his Twix wrapper in the trash. "So, I guess we'll just start driving and hope you remember something." They climbed into the Impala and left the gas station, taking the exit to Route 71 North. Adiana pulled out her phone and started playing Tetris. Dean put in a Styx cassette. An hour later, it was dark and the road stretched out, almost devoid of cars. Dean glanced over at Sam who was staring moodily out the window.

"What's going on with you, Sam? Hmm? 'Cause smoking, throwing bottles at people… that sounds more like me than you."

"Dean, wait. Wait." Sam pointed out his window. "Here. Turn down that road."

"What?"

"I don't know how I know, I just do." Adiana sat up in the backseat and peered out the window as Dean turned off of the main road. The Impala crept along a driveway that led through a clump of trees. At the end was a large white house with a floodlight in the driveway. There were no other cars. Dean parked the Impala, and they all got out. Dean grabbed three flashlights from the trunk and passed them out. The trio headed toward the door and another floodlight flashed on. This one had a security camera mounted on top. Sam squinted up into the light.

"Whoever lives here, I'd say they don't like surprises." They walked up the steps and stopped at the front door.

"Do you think we should knock?" asked Adiana.

"Yeah, I guess," acquiesced Sam. Dean knocked on the front door as Sam walked along the porch. "Hey, guys." Adiana and Dean joined Sam next to a shattered window.

"I'm surprised the cops didn't show," said Dean, shining his flashlight in through the window. "A place like this, you'd think they'd have an alarm." Sam kept walking along the porch. He noticed the electrical breaker box was open a crack. He opened it further. Some of the wires were disconnected.

"Yeah, you would." Dean looked over at the breaker box and shook his head. He threw his coat over the broken glass in the window and climbed through. He helped Adiana in after him. Sam came through last, and Dean shrugged his coat back on.

The house was a mess. Glass was scattered all over the floor. Picture frames dangled crookedly on the wall. One of the cabinets had been smashed in. They advanced slowly, every pass of their flashlights' beams revealing more damage. Dean's light fell on something that looked like a body in the adjoining room. He moved in that direction with Adiana and Sam. He nudged the body with his foot. The person didn't budge.

"Hit the lights." Sam flicked the switch, light immediately flooding the room. Dean crouched by the body, stuffing the flashlight in his back pocket. He reached out and rolled the body over. It was a man, and his throat had been viciously slashed, blood coating his face. Adiana gagged, putting a hand to cover her mouth. Sam stared down at the man, shaking.

"Dean, I did this."

"We don't know that."

"What else do you need? I mean, how else do you explain the car, the knife, the blood…"

"I don't know, man, why don't you tell me? Look even if you did do this, I'm sure you had a reason. Self-defense, he was a bad son of a bitch, something." Dean frisked the man's body. "He didn't have any ID."

"I need your lock pick."

"What?"

"I need your lock pick." Dean pulled out the lock pick and handed it to Sam who went to work on the closet door. Adiana took a deep breath and turned to watch, trying not to look at the body. God, it was going to take a while to get used to this. Sam pulled the doors of the closet open.

The closet was actually a small room. It was filled with a large collection of guns that hung on the front wall over a long black desk. Two of the other walls were covered in papers with pictures of monsters, symbols and different rituals. Dean stood up, staring into the room in awe.

"Holy…either this guy's a Unabomber—"

"Or a hunter," finished Sam. "Dean, I think I killed a hunter."

"Let's find out." Dean looked over his shoulder at a security camera mounted on the wall. "That must connect to the computer, right?"

"Yeah…yeah." Sam sat down in a desk in the main room. He hit the power screen, waking the computer from sleep. The man, whoever he was, hadn't logged off. Sam clicked on a link to the security footage. He selected one day ago and began to run through the footage at a rapid rate. Adiana and Dean watched. Finally, the image changed to the man backing into the room followed by Sam.

"Here we go," murmured Dean, as Sam rewound. Sam pressed play. They watched as Sam began attacking the man, beating him until he was almost unconscious. He then pulled a knife out of his pocket, dragged the man to the closet door and slit his throat. On the screen, Sam looked down at his shirt, which was now covered in blood. Dean reached out and paused the image. They stared in silence at the image of Sam on the screen. Dean was the first one to snap out of the trance.

"Okay we have to clean off all of our prints. Everything. Now. I'll get the cleaning supplies." Dean strode out of the room. Adiana took off after him, leaving Sam gaping at the screen.

"Dean." Adiana began once they were outside. "I know you don't want to hear this, but Sam killed someone and I think-"

"No." Dean opened the trunk of the Impala and pulled out some rags.

"No?"

"It wasn't him. I mean, it might have looked like him-"

"Dean, you just watched that recording. There's no way that wasn't Sam."

"Could have been a lot of things."

"Look. He's your brother, and if I hadn't seen that recording, I wouldn't have believed it either, but there's proof right there. Maybe…maybe we need to lock Sam up for a while or…or…"

"Or what?"

"I don't know. Something! He's not safe. He's a danger to us. He's a danger to himself."

"Sam is not a killer!" Adiana flinched, taking a step back. Dean took a deep breath, rubbing his forehead. "Are you going to help us clean this place up or not?"

"Of course." Adiana took the rags from Dean while he carried a bottle of bleach. They walked back to the room where Sam was reading a letter from the man's desk.

"Start wiping down all the surfaces we touched," instructed Dean. Adiana poured some bleach on the rag. She began wiping off the light switch.

"How do you erase this?" Dean pointed to the computer. "Sam, come on, I need your help."

"I killed him, Dean. I just broke in and killed him."

"Listen to me. Whoever this guy is, he's a hunter. Which means that other hunters are gonna come looking for his killer, which means we've gotta cover our tracks, okay?"

"His name was Steve Wandel. This is a letter from his daughter." Sam tossed the letter onto the desk, his eyes tearing up. Dean gritted his teeth. He bent down and yanked the hard drive out from under the desk. Adiana jumped as she heard it crash to the floor. Dean slammed his foot down hard against it, bits of metal and wire flying everywhere. He gave it one last kick, and the machine lay wrecked on the floor. He threw a rag at Sam.

"Wipe your prints, then we go."

* * *

"Alright, we get a couple hours of sleep, then we put this place in our rearview mirror," said Dean, closing the motel room door. "Look I know this is bad, okay? But you've gotta snap out of it." He tossed his bag on a bed. "Sam, say something!"

"Just get some sleep and leave in the morning? Murder, Dean. That's what I did." Adiana sprawled out on one of the chairs. Dean wasn't going to pay attention anything Sam said. He certainly hadn't listened to her. She was just going to have to keep a closer eye on Sam. Dean began opening his bag.

"Maybe. Hey, shapeshifter?"

"Oh, come on. You know it wasn't. You saw the tape. There was no eye flare, no distortion."

"But it wasn't you, alright? I mean yeah, it might've been you, but it wasn't _you_."

"I think it was. I think maybe more than you know." Sam sat down a bed, staring down at his feet.

"What the hell does that mean?"

"For the last few weeks, I've been having…I've been having these feelings."

"What feelings?"

"Rage…hate. And I can't stop it. It just gets worse. Day by day, it gets worse."

"You never told me this."

"I didn't want to scare you."

"Well, bang-up job on that."

"Dean, the Yellow-Eyed Demon…you know he has plans for me. And we both know that he's turned other children into killers before, too."

"No one can control you but you."

"It sure doesn't seem like that, Dean. It feels like no matter what I do, slowly but surely, I'm just becoming…"

"What?"

"Who I'm meant to be. I mean you said it once yourself, Dean. I've gotta face up to who I am."

"I didn't mean this!" Sam jumped up off the bed.

"But it's still true! You know that! Dad knew that, too! That's why he told you if it ever came to this—"

"Shut up, Sam!"

"Dean, you promised him. You promised me."

"No. Listen to me. We're gonna figure this out, okay? I mean, there's gotta be a way right?"

"Yeah, there is." Sam pulled a pistol out of Dean's bag. He held it out to Dean. "I don't wanna hurt anyone else. I don't wanna hurt you or Adiana."

"Alright. That's it!" Adiana leapt up from her chair. "Stop it. Stop it right now both of you! First of all, Sam is right—" Dean glared at her. She turned to him and continued, "—about one thing. The Yellow-Eyed Demon had plans, but they're plans, not destiny." Dean looked down. Adiana then turned to Sam. "And yes Sam, I believe that it was you who killed that man, but Dean is not going to kill you. And neither am I. I mean, how could you even ask that of him? Maybe there is something wrong with you, but we can figure this out. I stand by what I said to Dean earlier. We're going to take you right now and we're going to lock you up. I'm sure there's someplace we can do that and have someone watch over you while Dean and I figure this out. But no one is killing anyone. That's just not happening. Okay?" Adiana held Sam's gaze, praying that he'd put the gun down, her heart pounding.

"Whatever this is," said Dean finally, "you can fight it." Sam looked away from Adiana and shook his head.

"No. I can't. Not forever. Here, you've gotta do it." Sam shoved the gun into Dean's hand. Adiana almost reached out to seize it, but she held back, certain that Dean wouldn't shoot his brother.

"You know, I've tried so hard to keep you safe," Dean rasped, looking down at the gun.

"I know."

"…I can't. I'd rather die." Dean dropped the gun back in the bag and walked around Sam. Adiana let out a breath, her heart still racing in her chest.

"No," Sam turned to Dean. "You'll live." Sam picked the gun back up, twisting it in his palm. "You'll live to regret this." Sam brought the gun down hard across Dean's face, knocking him to the floor.

"Dean!" Adiana screamed. He didn't move. Sam whirled around, and Adiana brought her arms up in a swing, knocking the gun from his hand. She put her hands up in a defensive position. Sam leered at her.

"You really want to do this?" Adiana considered running to the door, but there was no way she was going to make it there first. "After all, Dean and I taught you everything." Sam swung and Adiana dodged, knocking his hand aside. His punch was much harder than she was used to, and her wrist made a loud cracking noise. It hurt, but not enough to distract her completely. If she could just reach the gun on the floor. She backed up a step. He threw another punch which she narrowly avoided. She moved her hand up hard, her palm connecting with his nose. He reeled backwards, putting a hand up to his nose.

"You bitch." Adiana dove for the gun. She fell on the floor, fingers grabbing for the weapon. She pulled it towards her and rolled around, fingers tightening on the trigger. Sam's foot slammed into her face. She reeled sideways, coughing, as blood filled her mouth. She tried to aim the gun, but her vision was foggy. Sam knelt by her side. He pulled her hair, tugging her face towards him.

"This'll teach you to fuck with me, won't it?"

"Sam…don't…" Sam smashed her head into the floor, and she passed out. He stood up with a self-satisfied smile. With the keys to the Impala from Dean's pocket, he pulled open the window. He left the room, coming back through the window a few minutes later with thick cords from the Impala's trunk. Kneeling next to Adiana, he bound her feet and arms. When he was done, he picked her up, throwing her limp form over his shoulder and taking off out the window.


	27. Born Under a Bad Sign Part II

**For my reviewers: Mrs. Dean Winchester, chase83, BreeHime, Elm Treigh, Wicked Rose06, BiteYourLip, SuzSinger & DeanGirl 28**

Dean awoke to the sound of pounding on the hotel room door. He propped himself up on his elbows, looking over his shoulder as the manager opened the room. The man peered down at him through his glasses, clearly irritated at this turn of events.

"It's past checkout." Dean stood up, rubbing his face as he staggered to the door.

"What?"

"It's past checkout, and I have a couple here that needs the room." The manager gestured to an older man staring guiltily at the floor and a young bleach-blonde in a revealing pink top. Dean raised an eyebrow at the couple.

"Yeah, I'll bet they do. What time is it?"

"Twelve thirty." Dean glanced back into the room.

"The guy and girl I was with, have you seem 'em?"

"Not the girl, but the guy yeah. He left before dawn in your car, and you should have gone with him because now I'm going to have to charge you extra."

"Son of a bitch."

"It's just policy, sir."

"I'm going to need to use your computer."

"And why would I let you use my computer?"

"Come on, man, it's really important!"

"No use yelling at me."

"I'm not yelling!" Dean took a deep breath and lowered his voice. "Okay. Here." Dean reached in his pocket and pulled out his wallet. He handed the manager one hundred dollars in crisp twenty dollar bills. The man smirked.

"The room's all yours," the manager informed the couple. "Follow me." Dean grabbed his bag off the bed and followed the manager to the front computer. He sat behind it as the manager leaned back in his chair, counting the cash in his hand. Dean searched for the website for his phone service provider, and then picked up the phone dialing the company.

"Hi, sorry to bother you, but my son snuck out last night and went to a Justin Timberlake concert…What? ...Uh, yeah, Justin is quite the triple threat. Anyway, he's not back yet and I'm starting to worry…Right, boys will be boys, but you see Sammy's a diabetic, and if he doesn't get his insulin, then…Look, I just need to find him. Please I'm begging you…Yeah, no, no, no, I'm on the website right now. I just need to activate the GPS in his cell phone." He typed in the pass code the assistant gave him. A map popped up with a red blinking dot. "Yeah I see him. Right there. Duluth, Minnesota…Yeah that is a long way to go for a concert. I appreciate your help." Dean hung up the phone, quickly memorizing the map. "I swear to God Sam, if you hurt her…"

* * *

Adiana stirred, her head throbbing. The coppery taste of blood still filled her mouth, and she felt more dried blood on her cheek. She tried to flex her stiff wrists, but found she was unable to. With her fingers, she felt the thick cord that bound her hands together behind her back. That probably meant…Adiana moved her feet slightly and silently cursed. Yes, they were tied together too. Why couldn't she see anything? The dark was suffocating, clinging tightly to her, making it hard to breathe. She could barely think over the hammering in her ears. The floor beneath her trembled and jolted. Although she couldn't hear much of anything, she guessed she was in a car. Possibly the Impala.

Dean. Where was Dean? If she was alive, there was a good chance he was too. She'd just have to try to get free and hope that he was doing the same. Sam must be driving the car or be in the car at the very least, so she'd have to stay quiet. She suddenly remembered there was a small razor blade sewn with a thin thread into the back pocket of her jeans. All she had to do was reach it. She shifted her shoulders, reaching back then down. Her fingers brushed something rough. A blanket, of course. So that's why the dark felt so close. She slowly stretched out the tips of her fingers. Her hand brushed the inside of her pocket. It was empty. She closed her eyes. Damn. Sam must have gotten to it. She did have another one in her jacket, but of course she had taken it off in the motel room. Probably wouldn't have mattered, he had known about that one too. She'd had a pocket knife in her front pocket, but she was leaning on her side and could feel that was missing as well.

New plan: she had to try to undo the damn knots. She tried to move her legs so her hands could be near to her feet. Her knees hit something hard when she attempted to curl them up. Wherever she was, there was barely any room. The trunk, perhaps? But if it was the Impala, Sam would have be forced to remove all of the weapons first. Okay, focus. She felt the knot of the cord on the side of her wrists. She moved them against each other, shifting the cord along her wrists until the knot was in one of her palms. She found one of the loops and began to pull at it. She tugged on that cord for what felt like hours, but it was no use. At one point, one of her fingernails caught and tore. She broke a nail, wasn't that just cliché. Adiana bit back a curse as the nail had stripped skin away. She might as well have said it aloud, for a moment later the car hit a bump. Her head bumped against the interior, and she groaned involuntarily, white spots dancing in her vision.

"Well, someone's awake." Adiana barely heard Sam over the roaring in her ears. She felt like she was going to be sick. "We're almost there. You've been out for awhile." Damn it. She pressed her hands to her back, rubbing them against the cord, desperate to get it off. It was too tight. She went back to picking at the knot with her fingers, praying she'd be able to yank it off in time. The car turned and began to rumble over a rough path. She tried to sit up, but without leverage it was impossible.

The car stopped. Adiana heard the front car door open. She tried not to panic. She was still alive. If Sam wanted her dead, she'd be six feet under by now. So then, what did he want with her? The door by her feet opened, and the blanket pulled away. She squinted at Sam from the back floor of the Impala. He gave her a smile that he probably meant to be reassuring.

"Here, I got you some water." Sam held up a water bottle. "You can wash the blood out of your mouth. Sorry about that by the way. Let me help you sit up." Adiana tried to shrink back, but Sam grabbed her arm, moving her to a sitting position with her legs swinging out of the Impala's door. He unscrewed the water bottle, putting it to her lips. She recoiled, drops of water falling over her shirt.

"No thanks. I'm good," she rasped. Sam sighed and drank a gulp of the water.

"See, it's fine." He held it to her mouth, and Adiana drank until the bottle was about half empty. "There. Now you've got a little—" Sam bent down to wipe water from her chin, and she took the opportunity to spit a mouthful of water into his face. He rubbed it off with a sigh. "Guess I deserved that." He threw the water bottle into the front seat. "I'm going to take this rope off your feet so you can walk. Don't try anything, okay? I don't want to hurt you anymore than I already have." Adiana nodded. He reached down and carefully untied the cord. "Now, come out." She stood up, flexing her toes to wake them up as she took in their surroundings.

They were in the gravel driveway of an old warehouse surrounded by trees. Adiana considered screaming, but there didn't seem to be anything or anybody nearby. The lock on the front of the warehouse was broken, the entrance open wide enough for a person to get through. She wondered if this was why Sam had been gone for a week. He'd been scouting out a place to…what? And where was Dean? Anyway, running away was out of the question. Sam could easily recapture her, plus her hands were still tied. Her best bet was to go along with whatever he wanted and try and catch him off guard later. Maybe someone was in the warehouse that would help her.

"Now what?" she asked.

"We go in the warehouse." Sam stayed a few steps behind Adiana as she made her way into the warehouse. The first room was large, machinery resting everywhere. Conveyer belts twisted around the room, rising up to catwalks that, even from where she was standing, looked thin and rickety. Dust filtered through the air, coating the already grimy floor. Sam didn't tell her to stop so she just kept going until they reached a back room. It appeared small at first glance, but when one looked up, it stretched to the rafters of the building.

"Stop." Adiana froze. "Back against that support beam." She shuffled forward to the beam that was grounded on one side of the room. There was an additional set of doors leading out of the room. So no one was here. Well, that plan failed, not that she had given it much hope anyway. But perhaps she could kick Sam hard enough to distract him while she ran out the door. Then, she'd…well, if she actually got away she could figure it out from there. She just stared at the beam. She heard Sam move closer. "Adiana—" She kicked back hard, her foot connecting with Sam's shin. Not taking the time to glance back, she sprinted for the exit.

_Bang!_ Adiana froze as a bullet smashed through the door. She turned to look at Sam who was spinning a pistol in his hand. Shit. She should have counted on that. Hanging her head resignedly, she backed up against the beam. Sam shrugged a length of chord off his shoulder. He looped the cord through her arms and already bound wrists. He tucked the gun back into his pants and tied her to the beam.

"Where's Dean?" Adiana asked. Sam snorted derisively.

"Dean, Dean, Dean. You shouldn't be worrying so much about him." He caught Adiana's frightened eyes and gave a rueful grin. "Oh, he's alive. But don't worry about him. He's a scumbag. He goes through girls like they're nothing. It wouldn't surprise me if he's cheated on you once already, if not twice."

"He wouldn't."

"I'm not trying to hurt you, Adiana. I'm telling you because I care."

"You knock me out, drive me to some abandoned warehouse and threaten me with a gun, all because you care? I shudder to think what you would do if you couldn't stand to look at me."

"I mean it." Sam reached out and gently stroked Adiana's cheek. "I care about you a lot."

"Sam, just tell me what's going on."

"I could be more for you, if you gave me a chance. I could make you forget all about Dean," Sam said thoughtfully. His hand traced Adiana's face up to her hair, taking a strand of it and twining it around his finger. Adiana stared at him with wide eyes. She could hardly believe this was happening. Sam had never shown the least bit of interest in her. At least, she didn't think he had. It wasn't as if she'd been looking for it.

"I'm sorry if I've given you the impression that I have feelings for you. Maybe I did once, but that was then. I'm sorry Sam. I really am, but I love Dean." Sam dropped his hand to his side and shrugged.

"Maybe you'll change your mind. I have time. Now open up."

"Wh—" Sam shoved a gag into Adiana's mouth, securing it behind her head. The fabric dug into the bruises on her face, and she moaned through the gag.

"'Atta girl. It won't be long now before Dean—" Dean burst through the front door of the room holding a gun out in front of him. Sam beamed. "Well, speak of the devil."

"Sam!"

"I begged you to stop me, Dean!" Sam's demeanor changed immediately to afraid and miserable as he looked imploringly at Dean. "I told you, I can't fight it! My head feels like it's on fire, alright! Dean, you have to kill me, or…" Sam's expression changed, pulling out his pistol and pressing it to Adiana's head. "…I'm going to kill her!"

"Put the gun down, damn it!" Dean moved closer to Sam, his fingers tightening on the trigger. This is the first time Adiana had seen him look truly scared. Sam pressed the gun harder into Adiana's skull. She grimaced, straining against her bindings.

"Please! You'd be doing me a favor. Shoot me. Shoot me!" Dean stared Sam down, his concentration never wavering. Adiana didn't want Sam dead, but she didn't want to die either and Sam…well, he wasn't Sam anymore. She held her breath waiting for a gunshot. Dean lowered his gun and tucked it into the back of his pants.

"No, Sammy. Come on." Dean turned away from them. Adiana let out her breath. She had thought that after all Sam had done, after everything she'd said to Dean that he'd see that this 'Sam' was not his brother anymore. She didn't expect Dean to care more about her than his brother. No, family came first. But Dean was making a mistake. Fuck him, she was going to come back and haunt his ass. Sam's mouth was open in astonishment.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Dean? Are you that scared of losing me that you'd rather let Adiana die?" Suddenly Dean turned around, spraying water from a small metal bottle.

"That's holy water, you demonic son of a bitch!" The demon shrieked, thrashing wildly. Its eyes went completely black, shining eerily in the light. Dean sprayed more holy water at the demon. The demon twisted and turned, running sideways out the back doors. Dean took a knife out of his jacket pocket. He cut off Adiana's gag and the chord from around her hands.

"He was possessed?" Adiana spluttered. "Dean!" she called after him as he ran out the door after Sam. Great, she was weaponless and just a few moments ago she thought she was going to die. She was going to get emotional whiplash. Just in case anything should happen, she decided to try and go after them.

The warehouse was filled with the sound of footsteps and shouts. The words echoed through the rooms, but Adiana couldn't understand what the two were saying. She caught only bits and snatches of the yelling match. Then there came the sound of a gunshot and a loud crash. She sped up in that direction.

"Dean!" she called out, not caring if the demon heard her. "Dean!" She made it back to the large room. Looking out the front door, she saw that the Impala was gone. Please don't let him have taken Dean. She stood in the middle of the room. "Dean!" There was still no answer. She was going to have to search this building high and low. Wait.

Something was different. Adiana peered around the room. Something was different than it had been when she came in. There, that catwalk had a railing. She jogged over to the floor under the catwalk. There was an enormous pile of sawdust taking up space on the floor. She walked around the pile where she saw Dean laying unconscious. She knelt down next to him. There was blood soaking into the sleeve of his shirt around a small bullet hole.

"Dean!" Adiana touched his neck. His pulse was faint. "Come on, Dean. Wake the hell up." She shook his unwounded shoulder hard and Dean groaned. "Oh, thank the Lord." He blinked and took a deep breath.

"Well if you're here, I must be in heaven." Adiana laughed in relief.

"I guess you're not feeling too bad, then."

"I've been worse. Where's Sam?"

"Gone, I think. The Impala's not there anymore. Please tell me you have a car."

"Nah, I flew. Help me up." Adiana slipped a hand behind his back and assisted him into a sitting position. Dean moaned from the pain, clutching at his arm. Adiana softly touched it, blood wetting her fingertips.

"We need to take you to a hospital."

"No. No hospitals."

"Alright, well then we need to get you to a convenience store so I can get what I need to patch you up."

"That's more like it." Adiana helped Dean stand looping one of his arms over her shoulder. He leaned on her heavily, and she was worried he was going to pass out again. She helped him hobble out of the warehouse and around the side to where a small Mitsubishi was parked, doors unlocked. Once they were both in, she traced the empty key slot.

"I don't suppose you have the keys." Dean shook his head.

"There's two wires hanging near the petals. Just twist them together." Dean leaned against the window, closing his eyes as Adiana reached down. She took the wires, taking a here-goes-nothing breath before attaching them together. The car's engine started. She sat up, pulling the car out of the driveway.

"You going to be okay?"

"Yeah, I'll live." Adiana turned to look at him.

"You know, I honestly thought you were going to let that thing shoot me." Dean opened one eye.

"Are you kidding?"

"When it comes to Sam, you tend to not listen to sense. How did you even know he was possessed?"

"I didn't. I just knew that it couldn't have been him." Adiana shook her head. Impossible. He was impossible.

"You are so lucky you're in pain right now because otherwise I'd smack you."

"I was sure, okay?" Adiana raised an eyebrow.

"And if you weren't sure?" Dean shifted his good arm and considered.

"…I would have thought of something."

"Uh huh."

"Don't be mad."

"I'm not mad." She concentrated on the road.

"Adiana…" She sighed in frustration.

"Okay I'm a little mad! I just…I thought I was going to die and then I thought you might be dead, and now you're hurt and God knows how long it is until we hit a store and we're in the middle of nowhere and we have no idea where Sa…the demon went and -"

"Please don't start crying."

"- he could hurt someone else and you could bleed to death and-"

"Hey. Hey! I'm going to be fine, okay?"

"Okay, okay." Adiana took a deep breath. She made a small smile. "Sorry. I'm good now. And here's a strip mall, hallelujah." She parked the car in front of a tiny convenience store. "I'll be right back." Unsure of what exactly she would need and wanting to take as little time as possible, she swept through the store buying every conceivable item so thought might be necessary. She also got a bottle of whiskey from the liquor store. "Here." She handed Dean the whiskey bottle when she climbed back into the front seat. He popped the cap off and took a long swig. Adiana peeled his shirt off his arm. The bullet had lodged deep into the skin and blood still oozing out. She readied herself and put some of the rubbing alcohol on a cotton pad. She wiped the blood from his arm, hesitating when she got to the actual wound.

"Just do it," instructed Dean, gritting his teeth. Adiana nodded. She cleaned out the wound while he hissed in pain. Okay the wound was sterilized. Now for the gross part. She ripped open the packaging for a new pair of tweezers. Dean took another gulp of the whiskey.

"I don't think I can do this Dean. I've never even learned…"

"It's easy. Just pull the bullet out."

"Uh…okay." Adiana pushed the tweezers into the wound.

"God! Shit!" Dean tried very hard to stay still as Adiana moved the tweezers deeper. She felt them hit the bullet, and twisted them until it felt like she had a grip. Trying to keep her hand steady, she began to move it toward the surface. It slipped out, and the tweezers jabbed against Dean's flesh. "Fuck!"

"Sorry, sorry. It's almost…." She got another grip on the bullet and pulled it out. "Got it." She dropped the bullet and tweezers, cleaning the wound again with alcohol.

"You're a butcher."

"You're welcome."

"Alright, are we done?"

"You can't help Sam if you're bleeding to death. I still need to stitch you up." Adiana threaded a needle with medical string and began to stitch his skin shut. The texture was different, but luckily for her the method was still the same as fixing clothes. And that was exactly what she had to pretend it was so that she wouldn't feel ill. She tried not to look at Dean's face. She could tell how much pain he was in by how tense his body was. Maybe she could take his mind off it. "Hey, Dean."

"Yeah?"

"I know demons lie, but they can get into your head and read your thoughts so…do they ever tell the truth, too?"

"Uh…yeah sometimes, I guess. Especially if they know it'll mess with your head. Why? What'd that demon say to you?"

"Nothing important. Forget it. So where do you think it's headed?" questioned Adiana quickly. Dean stared down but her face was unreadable so he didn't ask further.

"Well, it definitely has it out for hunters and the closest one I know is in South Dakota."

"Okay I'm all done." Adiana put the medical patch over the sensitive skin. "I got aspirin, but I don't think you're supposed to take that when you drink…" Dean took the bottle from her and swallowed two of the pills. "Or you know, whatever." Adiana gave Dean a kiss, before starting up the car again. He grinned.

"Thanks babe. I don't think I would have made it without you."

"Oh, I know you wouldn't have made it without me," she said with a teasing smile. "But you saved me, so I guess we're even. Now why don't you call that hunter?" Dean pulled his phone out of his pocket with his good arm and dialed. He waited while it rang.

"Damn it, no answer. Pull out and turn right." They drove for less than twenty minutes before Dean instructed Adiana to pull off the main road onto a long dirt one. She stopped in a large car junkyard. The Impala was parked in front of a grungy house that seemed about ready to fall apart. She peered through the dashboard at the house.

"Who did you say lives here?"

"Bobby Singer. He's a friend of Dad's or was." Dean pushed the car door open, stretching his wounded arm. He moved across the driveway, leaping up the steps. His hand stretched out, about to knock when the front door of the house opened. Bobby Singer stood in the doorway, a scowl on his lips.

"Took yer long enough."

"How you doing Bobby?" Dean shook Bobby's hand.

"Good as can be expected. Demon thought he could get past me, but I got 'im tied up under a Devil's Trap. And who's this?" he questioned, as Adiana came up the steps behind Dean. She raised a hand.

"Adiana Garrow." They shook hands. Dean shifted his feet impatiently where he stood.

"We can do introductions later, Bobby. I say we find out what this son of a bitch wants then send it yowling back to hell."

"Sounds alright by me. Got an exorcising ritual and bucket of holy water, in case we need them." Bobby led Dean and Adiana to a room littered with books. The demon was tied to a chair, passed out under the intricate Devil's Trap inscribed on the ceiling. Dean approached the demon and smacked it hard across the face.

"Hey!" The demon's black eyes blinked open, shining orbs focusing on Dean. It smirked.

"Dean, back from the dead. Getting to be a regular thing for you, isn't it? Like a cockroach."

"How 'bout I smack that smartass right outta your mouth?"

"Oh, careful now. Wouldn't wanna bruise this fine packaging."

"Oh, don't worry. This isn't gonna hurt Sam much. You, on the other hand…" Dean picked up the bucket of holy water and splashed it over the demon. The demon yelled, writhing against its bindings. Its head yanked violently back and forth. "Feel like talking now?"

"Sam's still my meat puppet. I'll make him bite off his tongue," the demon growled, breathing heavily.

"No, you won't be in him long enough." Dean dropped the bucket on the floor. "Bobby?" Bobby picked up a book of rituals from off his desk and began reading.

"Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus, omnis satanica potestas, omnis incursio infernalis adversarii…" He continued as Dean circled the demon.

"See, whatever bitch-boy master plan you demons are cooking up," Dean snarled as the demon began to scream, "you're not getting Sam. You understand me? 'Cause I'm gonna kill every last one of you first." Suddenly, the demon threw his head back and began to laugh, all pain seemingly gone. Bobby stopped reading, temporarily thrown. The demon shook its head.

"You really think that's what this is about? The master plan? I don't give a rat's ass about the master plan. I don't care about what Yellow Eyes wants with Sam or your pretty little girlfriend."

"Wait," interrupted Adiana, stepping out from the corner, "So I'm one of the—"

"Psychic freaks? Don't flatter yourself, sweetheart. All he wants you for is to use you as bait to get to the thing that brought you here."

"Who is she?"

"Wouldn't you like to know? Sorry, you're not getting another word out of me," the demon hissed snidely, settling back in the chair. Dean gestured for Bobby to continue the ritual.

"Humiliare sub potenti manu dei-"

"Oops. Doesn't seem to be working. See, I learned a few new tricks." The demon bowed its head and began muttering under its breath. The light darkened and the room began to shake. Papers flew off the desk, and Bobby's book was blown straight out of his hand. Dean looked to Bobby.

"This isn't going like I pictured. What's going on, Bobby?" Bobby grabbed the demon's sleeve, yanking it back to reveal a symbol that looked like a circle with a line through one side. It had been burned onto the skin.

"It's a binding link! It's like a lock! He's locked himself inside Sam's body!"

"Then what do we do?" asked Adiana over the rumbling of the walls and floor.

"I don't know!" Then, there was a cracking sound and the ceiling split, breaking the Devil's Trap. The demon cackled.

"There. That's better." It jerked its head and Dean, Adiana and Bobby went flying in opposite directions, slamming into the walls. It snapped the bindings on its wrists. Adiana felt like her head was on fire. This was the second time in two days she'd gotten a blow to the head. Through the haze of pain, she saw the demon approach Dean. She tried to get up, but only managed to roll over on her side. Bobby was knocked out not too far from where she lay, panting. The demon knelt next to Dean.

"You know, when people want to describe the worst possible thing, they say it's like hell." The demon grabbed Dean and punched him hard in the face."Well, there's a reason for that. Hell is like…" It punched Dean again "…well, it's like hell. Even for demons." It threw another punch. "It's a prison made of bone and flesh and blood and fear." As the demon hit Dean again, Adiana got shakily to her feet. The room was going in and out of focus, and she stumbled forward a step."And you sent me back there."

"Meg," Dean realized. His nose was now bleeding profusely, and Meg gripped his face hard.

"No. Not anymore. Now, I'm Sam." The demon struck Dean hard on the nose, and there was a cracking sound. _"_By the way, I saw your dad there. He says, 'Howdy.' All that I had to hold onto was that I would climb out one day, and that I was gonna torture you, nice and slow. Like pulling the wings off an insect. But whatever I do to you, it's nothing compared to what you do to yourself is it? I can see it in your eyes, Dean. You're worthless. You couldn't save your dad. And deep down…you know that you can't save your brother." Adiana leapt at Meg, knocking her sideways onto the floor.

"Stay away from him, you bitch." Adiana slammed her fist hard into Meg's cheek, her head snapping to the left. She reached for a hunting knife on a table, but Meg pushed out her hand, and Adiana was thrown backwards, crashing into the wall a few feet from Dean. Meg sat up, wiping blood from the corner of her mouth. Adiana tried to move and found that she couldn't. Meg grabbed the knife and crawled towards her.

"I'm going to carve you up into little pieces." Dean struggled, but Meg held him where he was. Fortunately, Meg had forgotten all about Bobby. Bobby grabbed Meg's arm and touched a hot fire poker to the binding symbol. She dropped the knife, screaming. Her head fell back, and black smoke poured out, vanishing up the chimney. Sam shook his head, a confused and dazed expression gripping his features. Dean looked at him.

"Sammy?" Dean wheezed.

"Did I miss anything?" Dean punched Sam across the face and fell back against the floor, groaning. Sam clutched the side of his face.

"Ow. What the hell was that for?"

* * *

Adiana was sitting in a chair, her head resting on some books on the desk. She had taken some aspirin that Bobby had offered her, but she still felt like Wile E. Coyote. Dean sat across from her, holding an ice pack to his bruised face. Sam held a similar ice pack to his right cheek.

"By the way, you really look like crap, Dean."

"Yeah, well right back at ya."

"Guys." Adiana picked her head up off the books. "I swear, if this turns into an argument…" Bobby entered the room, looking grim.

"What is it, Bobby?" asked Sam, concerned.

"You boys ever hear of a hunter named Steve Wandel?" The trio shifted uncomfortably, unable to meet Bobby's eyes. Dean removed the ice pack from his mouth.

"Why do you ask?"

"Just heard from a friend. Wandel's dead. Murdered in his own house. You wouldn't know anything about that?"

"No, sir. Never heard of the guy."

"Dean," sighed Sam.

"Good. Keep it that way. Wandel's buddies are looking for someone or something to string up, and they're not gonna slow down to listen to reason," warned Bobby. "You understand what I'm saying?" Dean nodded.

"We better hit the road." Bobby handed them all small amulets.

"Here, take these." Sam twisted the amulet in his hand.

"What are they?"

"Charms. They'll fend off possession. That demon is still out there. This'll stop it from getting back up into you."

"That sounds vaguely dirty, but thanks," said Dean, examining the amulet.

"You're welcome. You all be careful, now."

"You, too," replied Sam, sounding rather apologetic. Sam and Dean both handed their ice packs back to Bobby, and the trio left the house. Once they were in the Impala, Sam gave Dean the keys and they pulled out onto the main road. Adiana leaned gingerly down on the back seat. All she wanted to do was sleep. Dean noticed Sam staring sadly out the window.

"You okay? ... Sam? Is that you in there?" Dean grinned half-heartedly at his brother. Sam didn't return the smile.

"I was awake for some of it, Dean. I watched myself kill Wandel with my own two hands. I saw the light go out in his eyes."

"That must have been awful."

"That's not my point. I almost carved up Adiana, too. But no matter what I did, you wouldn't shoot."

"It was the right move, Sam. It wasn't you."

"Yeah this time. What about next time?"

"Next time I'm shooting you myself," said Adiana from the back seat. "I'm kidding," she added as Dean frowned at her in the rear-view mirror. "Seriously, though. Sam, I don't expect you to go dark side, but if you do…I'll do what I have to if that's what you want."

"Thanks Adiana," said Sam, looking back at her curled up in the backseat. She gave him a thumbs up.

"You're welcome." Dean shook his head.

"Sam, when Dad told me that I might have to kill you…it was only if I couldn't save you. Now if it's the last thing I do, I'm gonna save you." Dean chuckled. Sam looked at him, puzzled.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Dean, what?"

"Dude…you, like, full-on had a girl inside you for, like, a whole week." A small smile formed on the side of Sam's mouth. Adiana rolled her eyes. "That's pretty naughty_._"


	28. Taking The Lead

**For my reviewers: chase83, Rosa4dean, Mrs. Dean Winchester, Elm Treigh, Wicked Rose06, Creatures, unlovedtears14, Egyptian Kiss, Red red red ribbon, Alya Kihaku and bonnie beast**

"Wait, so the couch leg just snapped off? Just like that?" Sam asked, opening the door to the motel room. The handle slid slightly in his palm, sweaty from his morning run. The air in the motel room wasn't that hot but it certainly felt that way after the cool air outside.

"Yup. The whole cast couldn't stop laughing. Well, except my director. It was three days before opening night so she was not happy," explained Adiana. She slipped around him in the doorway, not an easy feat but manageable. She made several long strides to put distance between them. "Dibs on the shower," she whispered, assuming Dean was still asleep.

"But you take forever." Sam could cross a room faster than her, but unfortunately for him she had already reached the bathroom door.

"Doesn't matter. I called it." Adiana threw the door open and almost ran into Dean. She managed to bounce backwards on her heels before colliding with his chest. He was still in the shirt and boxers he had worn to bed. His hair was messy and really he just seemed to be half asleep. "Morning. Hey, you told me brushing teeth before breakfast is the most pointless thing you'd ever seen."

"Eliuh-" Dean started, but Adiana put up her hand to stop him.

"I can't understand you over the toothbrush in your mouth." Dean shuffled over to the sink and set his toothbrush on the edge. He gargled a mouthful of water from the tap and spit it into the sink before continuing.

"I just felt like it." He wiped water off his chin with his fingers and dried them on a towel. Adiana sighed as she reached into the shower and turned the water on so it could warm up. She ran her hands under that cold water, spurts of it shooting off onto her shirt. Actually, that felt good this way. Maybe she would just leave it.

"And yet before breakfast, what two days ago, you said…" But then it occurred to her. The one reason people always feel like they need to brush their teeth. She glanced at him over her shoulder. "You didn't… get sick did you?"

"What? No!" Dean grinned at her in the mirror, but her expression didn't change. "Okay yeah, but I'm good. We got a hunt and –" Adiana had wiped off her hands on her shirt and pressed the back of one to his forehead. "What are you doing?"

"You feel like you have a bit of a fever, but I was just running my hands under cold water so I could be wrong." She let her hand fall and considered him carefully. "Do you have a headache? Stomachache?"

"It's probably from eating half of that ham you made last night," commented Sam as he poked his head around the doorway. "So are you using that shower or..." Adiana nudged Dean out of the bathroom and waved Sam inside. Dean jammed his foot in the doorway to stop him from shutting it all the way.

"I might need to use it." Sam made a disgusted face but left the door open a crack. Dean turned back to Adiana. She was looking at him as if she expected him to get sick again at any minute. "I'll be fine."

"Uh-huh. So you got sick once, and you still feel like you might. What else?"

"Nothing. Nothing!" he insisted, as she raised an eyebrow skeptically.

"Really?"

"Really." Adiana pressed her lips together. She didn't believe it, not for one moment. Dean wasn't the type of person to admit that something was bothering him. There was no way that he had gotten sick once and that was the end of it. So she was just going to have to prod the truth out of him.

"How's your head?" Dean ran a hand over his face, fingers tugging at the skin.

"Adiana…"

"That's not an answer."

"…I mean my head hurts a little."

"Translation: your head is killing you." Adiana moved to their bed and stacked the two pillows one on top of the other. She pulled back the covers, leaving the white sheets exposed. "Come on. You need to go back to bed." Dean, however, showed no interest in taking her advice.

"I've worked jobs feeling worse before." She dropped the blankets from her hand and rested it on her hip instead.

"But Dean, you don't have to. Sam and I have got this one." She thought that maybe that would be enough to convince him but when he still didn't move, she persisted. "That's what you trained me for, right? So I could do some of the work? Now you can rest up and get better so one, you're feeling fine for the next case and two, you don't get Sam and I sick. Okay?" He could be stubborn, but Adiana was determined to be even more so. She knew how much it sucked to be doing things when you were feeling terrible. And with a job like this, being sick became potentially dangerous. Surely Dean would realize that. If it wasn't that, he eventually came to another realization.

"You're not going to let me go, are you?" Adiana grinned, sensing triumph was near.

"Nope."

"All right, I surrender." Dean sidled over to the bed and crawled in as she peeled back the covers for him once again. She sat down on the edge and pulled the blankets up.

"Now you stay here, and I'm going to go get some things for you, 'kay?"

"Okay." Adiana got up and went to grab her jacket. She checked the pocket for her wallet, now filled with her own credit cards. No need to fake a signature any more. Well, they weren't her actual names but at least she had been able to come up with the signature.

"Be back soon and uh…" She tapped her fingernails against a stack of case files on the table. "These better still be here." Dean rolled over on his side, face pressed against the pillow. She expected him to just agree again. She should have known better.

"Yes, Nurse Ratched." Adiana tapped her nails one final time. And now, as always the back and forth where she pretended to be mad for about thirty seconds before he inevitably made her smile. Except when she had a really good comeback, and this time she did. She opened the front door, standing in the grey light and winked.

"Careful, McMurphy. Things didn't work out so well for you in the end of book." She let the door shut behind her as he laughed.

* * *

Adiana entered the hotel room clasping a bag filled with all the remedies for a stomach bug. She was glad to see that Dean was still in bed, now propped up on the pillows with the television remote in his hand. The tv screen flashed as some cop shot off a large gun. The case files had been moved, but they were in Sam's hands. His hair was still damp from the shower, but other than that he looked ready to hit the road. He was already dressed in his suit, leaning back in one of the chairs as he scanned some of the paperwork. As the door clicked open, he set down the file and began to rise from his seat.

"Want some help?" Adiana shook her head and passed him to set the bag on the stovetop.

"I got it. Thanks." She started pulling items out and setting them on the table. "So you ready for today? It's just going to be me and you."

"Yeah. Dean told me you were putting him on quarantine." He picked the file back up, partially to continue reading and partially to hide the smile the twitched at the corners of his lips. "It'll be a good break for all of us." Dean frowned and lowered the volume on the tv.

"Hey, I'm a joy to be around." He pointed the remote at Sam. "You're just going to bore her with your take-everything-seriously crap." Sam's smirk widened behind the folder.

"We'll see." Adiana purposely clanged a pot against the side of the stove as she took it out of a drawer. It was always better to break up these arguments before they began, otherwise the boys would go on forever.

"Ok Sam, let's be nice. Dean's not feeling well, remember?" She put the pot on the stove and poured in some water and chicken broth before turning the dial to heat it up. "How about you come make this soup for your brother so that I can finally take a shower?" Now it was Dean's turn to smirk.

"Yeah Sammy. Make me soup." Sam dropped the file and grimaced, but he obligingly got up to help Adiana. She quickly showed him how to make a simple egg drop soup that helped to calm one's stomach. At least it always had when her mother had made it. Once Sam seemed to have a good handle on the instructions, she made for the shower giving Dean a warning glance as she passed the bed so he wouldn't push Sam's buttons while she was in the bathroom.

The door nearly swung shut behind her, hinges creaking, but Adiana stopped it in case Dean still needed to get in. She turned on the water, letting it run hot as she stripped down. The steaming spray felt good on her sore muscles, and it was a relief to at least get the sweat off. As she ran shampoo-laden fingers through her hair, that relaxed feeling started to give away to nerves. This was going to be her first real hunt. Sure, she'd gone with the boys on other hunts, and there was that last one with the pastor ghost but none of it really counted. She hadn't been trained yet, and then when she had an actual case she hadn't gotten to use any of it. Sam and Dean took most of the job, and she was only helping a little. This time she was taking on half of the responsibilities. Sam would of course be the one steering and making a lot of the decisions, but when they came face to face with a creature, it would be as much up to her as it was to him to kill it. She really wanted to prove to Sam and Dean that she could do it, that she was cut out for the job. Not only that, she wanted to prove it to herself. It would be a step, and a big one but this was her life now. She had to be able to handle it. Yeah, it was going to be terrifying. Yeah, one wrong move and she could get someone killed. But she would try not to let that happen and to keep in mind everything that she had been taught. And if she killed the creature, well then she would actually feel like she had the right to call herself a hunter.

Adiana didn't take long in the shower, knowing they needed to get out and gather more information as quickly as possible. People's lives were literally at stake here. She wrapped her hair up in a towel and got into her FBI outfit, a woman's suit jacket and pants with a white collared shirt. After she had gotten all the false ids, she'd gone out shopping for outfits to match. The shopping had been fun, but she was very glad that she didn't actually have to wear this clothing every day. It was strange wearing clothing meant for a woman at least ten years her senior, but she made it work somehow. She hoped. After toweling off her hair, she took out a hair drier to speed up the process. Her dry hair went up in a bun in an attempt to make herself appear older. As a final touch, she masked the bruises Meg had left on her face as much as possible with cover up. True, it was easy enough to explain why an FBI agent had bruises, but she didn't want anyone thinking she was incompetent enough to get hit either. As she was gingerly rubbing in the makeup, Dean's voice drifted in the door.

"Just keep a close eye on her." She straightened up and shifted closer to the crack in the door to listen.

"Dean, I know. I won't let her out of my sight."

"I don't know, man. I'm having second thoughts about this."

"Hey, you said it yourself. If she's sticking with us, then she's going to have to learn sometime. I mean, if I thought there was a chance for her to get out of this, then I'd want her to take it but I don't Dean… I really don't. She wants to do this, and if you haven't noticed, she isn't one to give up on anything she wants."

"Yeah. Yeah, but… I mean, we only trained her like what, two weeks? That's nothing. We had years."

"But we had to start somewhere, and we started when we were a lot younger than her. She's smarter than us as kids. She'll do fine."

"I know. I just…" Dean's voice sounded muffled, as if he had his hand over his mouth or maybe was pressed into a pillow. "I just don't want anything to happen to her."

"And it won't. I promise. I wouldn't let anything happen to her." Adiana backed away from the door and gathered up her things. So Dean really was concerned about her. He hadn't shown that earlier. Well she wasn't exactly surprised, and she didn't want to worry him but the more she learned the less he'd have to worry about her. So it was good that she was going on this hunt and hearing part of that conversation just made her even more determined to do well. And Sam would have her back. That she trusted in one hundred percent. If she got hurt, he'd beat himself up more than anyone else would. She pushed open the bathroom door.

"All finished. Let's get going." All of her products and clothes were dumped in her bag. She checked the soup, which Sam had finished exactly as instructed, and turned off the stove. Sam got all of the paperwork together, as she grabbed a can of soda from the fridge and brought it over to Dean's nightstand. "Just turn the stove to medium and let the soup sit for about ten minutes whenever you want it. Just give it a little stir after five. There are also crackers and extra-strength Advil in the kitchen and some more soda in the fridge. And try to get some sleep. Don't stay up all day watching tv." Adiana paused. "Lord, I sound like my mother so I'm going to stop."

"Thanks babe. I'll be good."

"You'd better." She put a light hand on Dean's shoulder and leaned down. He almost caught her lips, but she jerked her head back before he got that far. She had no desire to get sick. He gave her an apologetic half-grin, which she returned before pressing a kiss to his cheek. "I'll see you later."

"Yeah. Later." Sam already had the front door open, bag in hand. Adiana grabbed hers as well in case she needed to change. This was it. She passed through the door as Sam held it for her and waited until he'd unlocked the Impala to dump her bag in the trunk before getting into the passenger side. Sam handed her the reports before starting up the car.

"Okay so, since you've already started going over these…" Adiana skimmed over the newspaper article that had brought them here in the first place. "What's the deal?"

"Well, Jim Morris was found bludgeoned to death in the woods three days ago," started Sam as he pulled out of the parking lot. "Of course that's not the unusual part. What's weird is – Here flip that article over." Adiana pulled off the paper clip and turned to the back. "They found a rock where his liver should be."

"And why are we thinking this is not just some psycho?"

"Because I did some research, pulled up old newspaper articles and any police records I could find. This has been going on for centuries. The only reason that nobody has put it together before is because there are gaps of years and years in between and it's not just here. This has happened all over the Great Lakes region." Adiana flipped through the papers in her hand, stopping at a black-and-white picture of a corpse. The man was laying on a coroner's table, shriveled in death, despite the thick muscles of his arms. Something was different here, though. She held up the photo.

"But this one isn't bruised." Sam glanced at it before looking back at the road.

"No most of them aren't, and most died in hospitals. People didn't even know they had rocks replacing their insides until after the coroner got to them."

"And it's just the rock instead of a liver that connects them?"

"Yup."

"Roughly how many people are we talking about?"

"About fifty or so over the past two hundred years."

"Hmm…." Adiana chewed on her lip as she thought. People did get jumped and harvested for their organs. That was probably more common than everyone thought. But then she didn't know why anyone would feel the need to put a rock in its place. Or why it had happened over such a long period of time. Maybe it was just some crazy family handing down a sadistic tradition. It wasn't unheard of. She read the papers carefully, sheet by sheet but the situation really just seemed like a lot of coincidences. Sam caught the look on her face.

"You're not convinced."

"No, but I don't have any experience with this." She laughed. "If you've got a feeling, then I'll trust it. Besides, better we check this out and find nothing than leave it and let more people die."

"Exactly."

"All right then, where to first?" In answer, Sam flicked the left blinker on and pulled into the Iosco County coroner's office. Right, checking out the body. Of course. Adiana had seen a few bodies already, but not one of the times had it been a very pleasant experience. She felt queasy just thinking about it. Maybe it'd be better this time with a body that had been dead for a while as opposed to freshly dead and covered in blood. She doubted it. Sam parked in one of the visitors' spots.

"We're just going to get a look at Mr. Morris' body before we visit his wife. Sometimes seeing the body first helps narrow down questions we need to ask."

"Right." Adiana nodded. "I'll follow your lead then." They got out of the car and ducked into the large concrete building. It was already cooler in the front office. Adiana could only imagine what it would be like in the room where they kept the bodies. They flashed their badges at the front desk, and Sam asked to speak to the head coroner. The secretary behind the desk disappeared into a back hall and came back a few minutes later, pointing them down the way she had just come.

Behind a set of large steel double doors, an older gentleman was waiting for them. His closely cropped hair was almost completely white, oddly matching the medical scrubs he was wearing. Large, droopy eyes regarded them from behind thick glasses. Despite the depressing location of his work, the man had an energy about him. He shook their hands with a firm grip.

"Agents. I'm Doctor Henry Jamison. I was wondering when you would show up here." Adiana and Sam exchanged a quick glance.

"You were expecting us?" questioned Sam. Jamison hobbled over to the steel wall with labels on row after row of compartments. The air grew considerably colder.

"Well yes. Five bodies in one month. All military." He pulled open one of the doors and rolled out a long metal slab. On top was a white sheet covering a body that must belong to Morris. "I'm just surprised you didn't get here sooner."

"Sometimes it takes a while for the department to get a case." Adiana remained silent, bracing herself for seeing the body. Just think of it like a doll. A big, creepy doll. Okay, not helping.

"I suppose. At least you're here now." Jamison waited until they had both stepped up beside the body on the table before pulling back the sheet. Jim Morris might have once had a good-looking face, but it was hard to tell that now. The skin was mottled and puffy, and although the blood had been drained, it was clear there had been quite a lot of bruising. One side of his skull had caved in, or rather been beaten in by some large object. Dark grey matter could be seen through cracks in the bone. One glance was quite enough for Adiana. The blood drained out of her cheeks leaving her nearly as pale as Morris. She focused on Jamison's face instead.

"So is the beating post mortem?" she questioned. Jamison shook his head.

"Nope. Poor bastard was still alive. You can tell by the cranial bleeding. It looks bad, but it wasn't enough to kill him, at least not immediately."

"What was he hit with?"

"Well I found some splinters of wood. Bruises indicate a weapon around four inches thick. He was in the forest, so tree branch maybe?" He dragged the sheet down further, revealing the man's chest. Unlike the head, the chest was untouched except for three clear incision wounds. "The attacker was careful not to damage the liver in any way. And right where it should be was this." From next to the body, he took a small plastic container and removed the lid, holding it out. Sam took it and both he and Adiana looked inside. The stone was about half the size of a fist and of a brownish gray shade. It wasn't smooth, but rather deformed with small chips and cracks. In the light, it shone with dried blood and tiny crystals.

"May I?" asked Sam, indicating the rock.

"Sure, just take a glove." Sam pulled on a blue plastic glove from a table full of sharp instruments and held the stone up, turning it around and around in his hand. There were no symbols or really anything remarkable about the stone other than the fact that it had been where no stone should be.

"And all the victims had the same stone?"

"Same type. That's sandstone, but it's a common type of rock so it might not be of much help."

"Why weren't there newspaper articles for the other victims?" Adiana questioned suddenly, taking her eyes off of the stone. "There was only an article about Morris and how authorities found a stone in his body." Jamison sighed.

"That's because the press got to the crime scene, and one of them snuck in here and overheard about the rock. There were no other crime scenes." Sam put the stone back in the container and set it down on the table.

"No?"

"No, because none of the rest of them were beaten. They just got sick and before anyone could figure out what was happening, they died. People can live for days, sometimes more than a week without their liver before their body shuts down. The police wanted this detail kept out of the papers because it'd be something that only the killer would know. But I'm sure you two already knew that."

"Of course," replied Adiana hastily. Jamison raised an eyebrow, but her over-eagerness was quickly forgotten.

"I hope you two find this guy soon before I'm cutting open any more bodies to pull out rocks. And if you do find him, let me know how he does it."

"Does… what?" Jamison pointed to the incision marks on the body.

"You see those? Did them myself and before that there wasn't a scratch on that chest. No stitches or scars or anything. A cut to the liver like that, the attacker would have had to keep the chest from bleeding. There should be a nasty scar, but there was nothing. Not on any of them. It shouldn't be possible."

"Huh." Sam gave the incision marks a quick once over. "Can we get the full reports on the victims?"

"Sure thing. Just ask Sheila to get them for you."

"Well, we appreciate your time Doctor Jamison. We'll be in touch."

"Happy to help." Sam peeled off the glove and dropped it in the trash on the way out. Adiana was relieved when the steel doors shut behind her. Her stomach still felt uncomfortably queasy, but at least she hadn't done anything embarrassing like getting sick all over the body. And they'd certainly found out some useful information. Where she hadn't been convinced before, now this was sounding like something that could be a case. How could a person get a liver out and a stone in without leaving some kind of mark? Now that just didn't make any sense. Sheila handed them copies of the reports in neatly labeled files before they left the building. Adiana opened the top file after she was back in the Impala.

"Okay, so five victims in one month, all military." She found Jim Morris' obituary. "Yup. Morris was a soldier in the US army. That's gotta be a pattern right?" Sam turned the key in the ignition, and the Impala roared to life.

"Right. And no marks on the bodies. This is definitely our kind of thing."

"You heard of anything like this?"

"I don't remember seeing it in Dad's journal but I'll check up on it after we interview Mrs. Morris."

"What I don't get… well I mean there's a couple things I don't get but why was this last one beaten when none of the rest were?"

"That's a good question. Thinking like a hunter already." Adiana shrugged, turning over another newspaper clipping.

"Or I've just read too many murder mysteries. According to this, Morris lived on Twenty-One Maple Wood Ave."

"Thanks." Sam plugged the address into the GPS in his phone. Adiana kept on flipping through the papers in the coroner's reports. The report on Mr. Morris had nothing that she didn't know already, so she skimmed that one and moved onto the others. Considering that the victims didn't tell anyone they were jumped for their liver, she assumed they didn't remember the incident. Drugged maybe? There was nothing in any of the tox screens though. Not surprising. Jamison had said that a person could go several days without a liver, and many drugs would have dissipated by then. Besides, she doubted whether a supernatural creature would need to use any drug.

"Apart from military background, there doesn't appear to be any similarities in victim type. Two were women and three were men. They vary in age, race and marital status. The branch of military isn't necessarily the same either. Four were US army, but number two served in the Marines."

"Most creatures aren't really picky about their victims, but there might still be something to this military thing."

"Something else the coroner didn't mention. Victims one through four might not have been beaten, but they did have one thing in common. A small, scabbing cut right over their heart about half an inch long."

"Huh. Does it say what they thought the weapon was?"

"It says 'knife wound', but there's a question mark after it. Curiouser and curiouser."

"Maybe Mrs. Morris can help us with some details." Sam pulled into the driveway of a quaint one-story house. Flowers in pots sitting on the front porch steps. White shutters against light blue siding. Hedges carefully trimmed. Lawn mostly manicured, but weeds poking up in patches. And behind, the forest stretched out, large trees casting shadows on the grass. The driveway was empty, but there was a garage and lights on in the living room. They went up to the front door and Adiana rang the doorbell.

After a few moments, the door opened. Mrs. Morris seemed every one of her forty-seven years. Dark circles ringed her eyes, and her short brown hair was rather tousled. Her clothing was loose and a bit askew as if put on without much thought. She didn't appear surprised to see them. Sam dug in his coat pocket.

"Mrs. Morris?"

"Yeah."

"I'm Agent Farndon. This is my partner Agent Hynde." Taking his cue, Adiana took out her badge and they both showed their FBI badges. "We'd like to ask you a few questions about your husband."

"Sure. Sure. Come in." She ushered them in with a wave of her hand, and Adiana stepped through the door before Sam. "You look two look a little young to be FBI. Or maybe I'm just getting older..." She took them into her living room. It was inviting enough, though there were some scattered dishes on the coffee table. A few pictures of Mr. and Mrs. Morris hung on the wall. Adiana felt strange seeing them after viewing his body only a short while ago. She sat down on a plush sofa, and Sam took the seat beside her. Mrs. Morris perched on the edge of a chair, twisting her hands in her lap. "Can I get you coffee or something?"

"No, thank you. We're really sorry for your loss, Mrs. Morris," Adiana said softly. "We'll try to make this as short as possible." Mrs. Morris nodded slowly.

"Anything that'll help catch my husband's killer."

"Have you noticed anything strange lately in your home?" Sam asked first. "Weird noises, lights flickering?"

"Uh, no."

"How about your husband? Something different with him?" Adiana suggested.

"No. Same Jim."

"You're sure? He didn't seem… nervous about anything?"

"Yes I'm sure. I know my husband. I'd know if he was worried."

"Was there anyone who would want to hurt him?" Sam continued. Mrs. Morris' eyes flashed. She was offended.

"No! Jim was a great man. Everyone loved him. You know, he fought for this country. Spent two years in Iraq. Just got home a month ago. Got a new job at the logging company. Started building his model boats again. It wasn't even that much time before… before…" She trailed off as her eyes clouded with tears. "He was a good man."

"I'm sure he was, Mrs. Morris," Adiana soothed, trying to keep the woman from crying. It would be hard to get information out of her if that happened. Not to mention making this situation infinitely more awkward.

"Could you walk us through that night?" Sam inquired. Mrs. Morris took a shaky breath, her eyelids half closing. She nodded.

"Jim got home from work around seven like he always does. I had dinner waiting so we ate together. I'd made meatloaf. My mother's recipe. It was always one of his favorites…" She paused, eyes distant as she reminisced. "We watched the news. Then, he went out for his nightly run. He does it every night. There's a path that goes back into the woods. He's usually gone for about an hour. Only this time he didn't come back." She looked up at them, her fingers still twisting together. "I wish there was more I could tell you agents, but that's it. My neighbor, his dog ran off into the woods and that's how they found him. I didn't even have time to report him missing." Sam had leaned forward as she spoke, but now he sat up.

"Just one more question. Does sandstone mean anything to you?"

"The police asked me the same question. I know they found that rock in my husband's body, but apart from that it doesn't mean anything."

"Okay. Thank you for your time." Adiana and Sam stood up, as did Mrs. Morris with some effort. But really every movement took her a great effort.

"Let me know if you find anything."

"We will," pledged Adiana. "We can show ourselves out." Mrs. Morris sank back down into her chair as they left the room. Once the front door slammed behind them, Adiana felt it was safe to talk again. "Well whatever got to Mr. Morris, it had the woods for cover. And if he was running for an hour, he probably went deep in so no one would have heard anything."

"Right," agreed Sam. "And if whatever it is had been stalking Mr. Morris, he didn't know about it."

"It would make sense that the attacks were a surprise. These are all trained military officials. They shouldn't have gone down easily. Maybe that's why Mr. Morris was beat up. He was the only one to react quickly enough."

"Your guess is as good as mine."

"Mmm… Are we going to visit the other families?"

"Yeah. Let's go to Anne McNulty next. She died last week."

"Right. Last person to see her alive was her boyfriend. They lived together. Um…" Adiana snapped her fingers, trying to remember. "Cameron Johnson."

* * *

Cameron Johnson stared at them across a kitchen table. Unlike Mrs. Morris who was in a state of grief, he still seemed to be in shock. He ran a hand through cropped blonde hair as he spoke.

"No. No, there was nothing weird about our house. Why would there be something weird about our house?"

"It's just procedure to ask these questions, Mr. Johnson," Sam explained.

"Call me Cameron. No one calls me Mr. Johnson except my boss."

"Okay, Cameron," complied Adiana. "Was Anne acting strangely at all in the weeks before she died?"

"Yeah um… So three days before she… you know, we ran out of milk. Anne really wanted to have mac and cheese for dinner. I offered to go get it, but she said that she'd rather walk. Something about burning off calories. It was already dark, but Anne… she's… she was really tough. She was in the army, you know? So I let her go. I wish I hadn't. I should have insisted." Cameron rubbed his eyes and rested his forehead against his hand. "But it was just a thirty-minute walk there and back. I thought she'd be fine. After an hour, I get worried. Call her phone, but there's no answer, so I go out and look for her. The guy at the convenience store doesn't remember seeing her. I get home, put in a call to the police, but they said you have to wait twenty-four hours to file a missing person's report. Can you believe that? Anyway, I'm going out of my mind, but I stay home hoping she'll come back.

She did. Five hours later with a gallon of milk in her hand. She was so confused and dazed. She told me that she was halfway to the store when she felt a sharp pain in her chest. She thought she must have passed out because suddenly she woke up on the sidewalk, but she was feeling fine so she went the rest of the way. The manager spotted her and told her that I'd been looking for her. That's when she saw the time and realized how long she'd been out. She ran all the way back home. But… but she couldn't have just passed out on the sidewalk because I walked up and down that stretch, and I didn't see her. That must have been when… when they took her and… harvested her liver or whatever those sick fucks did."

"Why didn't you go to the police or a doctor?" Sam asked.

"Because Anne didn't want to! None of her money was stolen, and she said she didn't feel hurt at all. She was embarrassed. I should have made her go. If they'd done more tests, maybe they could have saved her. The day before, she suddenly got really weak. Couldn't even walk. I woke up, and she had crawled over to the toilet and kept throwing up. I took her to the hospital, but it was too late. She died the next day. Then the police come and ask me all sorts of questions. And I find out that she had a rock where her liver should be. A rock. I mean, who the hell does that?"

"Cameron, the coroner's report said that Anne had a small cut over her heart. Right here." Adiana pointed on her own chest. "Do you know anything about that?"

"No." Cameron sniffed. "No. Only I don't remember one being there before… everything."

After Cameron, they still had three more victims and so three more visits to family and friends they'd left behind. Patterns emerged in the stories leading up to the deaths. The victims were out alone at night. They experienced a sharp pain and then woke up with unaccounted hours passing in between. Days later they got sick and died. No one knew what the sandstone meant, and only one had heard any mention about the cut over the heart. However, that victim had no memory of where it came from. By the time they pulled up to the library, it was early evening.

"Okay, so I'm going to drop by the police station and see what I can pull from records," Sam informed Adiana. "Grab my Dad's journal and go see if you can figure out what's been hunting these people. I'll find you in… three hours."

"Done deal." Adiana got out of the car and rummaged around in the trunk for John Winchester's journal. Once she had it, she shut the trunk and gave Sam a little wave to let him know she was done. He waved back and pulled away from the curb. Adiana leapt up the steps of the library. Where was she even going to start?

* * *

"Hey, how's it going?" Adiana swung her chair around as Sam approached her. She smiled.

"I think I figured it out, so I'm pretty stoked. Come on, pull up a chair." Sam took the chair next to her. "You first, though. What'd you find out?"

"Well, I pulled the police records for any person who served in the military and checked for stories that matched up. Cross referenced them with other counties in the Great Lakes region. Found thirty-two reported cases that were exact, except for one detail. All of the victims were in the woods when they 'passed out'. So I checked for a disappearance rate. You know how you hear stories about people going missing while out hiking in the woods? The numbers were weirdly high. And of course there's no accounting for anything that goes unreported, which was really common until about sixty years ago. But like I said before, these cases were really spread out. Five in one month is a bigger streak than anything I found."

"I think I have answers for you then because you just confirmed a few things. The creature we are dealing with is, drum roll…" Adiana turned to the computer and clicked on a window that she had downsized. A picture of the creature popped up. It looked like a human skeleton covered with nearly translucent skin stretched over shadowy bones beneath. Its head was turned to the viewer and bright red eyes shone in its sockets. "… a baykok or bakaak. Literally translated, it means 'bones draped in skin'. It's a type of spirit native to this region that lives exclusively in the forest. It only appears at night and only to one person at a time. According to lore, it only attacks warriors, which would explain why it's going after people with a military background. On occasion, it will beat someone with a wooden club to knock them out but mostly it uses invisible, poison-tipped arrows to render people unconscious for a few hours, which is what made those marks over the victims' hearts. Once they're out, it uses a knife to cut them open and eat the liver. Then, it puts in a rock, nothing specific, just any rock, and sews the victim back up with some kind of mystical thread that leaves no marks. It leaves, and the victim wakes up with no idea what's happened to them."

"Sounds like it fits. Only why has it escalated and why is it hunting people outside of the woods?"

"Ah, I wondered the same thing so I looked through the news from around a month ago for an explanation and I found this." She clicked on another window and a news article popped up. "Exactly eight days before the first residential attack, a second growth logging company opened up in town and started taking down trees. I'm guessing they got too close to the baykok's hiding place and forced it closer to civilization. Jim Morris got a job there, remember? That's probably why he got clubbed to death." She took his file from the stack of papers and books next to her. From the papers, she selected a photo of him at the crime scene. He was wearing a t-shirt with "Steven's Logging Co." emblazoned across the front. "The spirit must have seen this and gotten pissed off, so it bashed his head in instead of just using the arrows." Sam leaned back in his chair.

"All right then, how do we kill it?"

"Now that was the most difficult thing to find out. Most of the lore says that you can't, because it's a spirit. However, I did find one website that said…." Her fingers flew over the keys and the website popped up. "That there is one way to kill it. You use something to break all its bones because they're pretty fragile. They recommended a mace, but I don't even know where we'd get one of those. I think one of those sledgehammers in the trunk would work fine. Then you soak the bones in gasoline and burn them up."

"Well, I'm impressed." Sam smiled as Adiana lit up. "Good job."

"I learned from the best." She winked. "There's just one thing I haven't figured out. I have no idea how we're going to find the thing and then get close enough to hit it. I mean the forest is huge and the attacks were miles apart." They lapsed into a reflective silence. Adiana mulled over all the information she had learned, trying to figure out some helpful plan of action. It was likely that the creature's hiding place was near the logging company, but that was still way too much ground to cover, especially considering there was no information about what the baykok's hiding ground would look like. Okay, so if they couldn't find its home, then the next best option was to locate the creature and corner it. They had to track it down, lure it out of the forest maybe. Her thoughts were interrupted as Sam's cell vibrated in his jacket. He pulled it out and held it up to his ear.

"Hey Dean… Good, yeah Adiana figured out what's been attacking people. It's called a baykok… Yeah hilarious… Break its bones and set it on fire… No we're trying to figure that out now…" Sam rolled his eyes. "Yeah… I know… Yes. I took care of it…Yeah, she's right here. Do you want to…?" He tilted the phone about to pass it to Adiana, but Dean had cut him off. "We'll try… No…. I know!" Adiana put a finger to her lips as they had drawn the attention of a few people, and Sam lowered his voice. "Okay. I will… Okay. Look, do you want to talk to Adiana?" This time Sam handed her the phone. She brought it up to her ear.

"Hey, how you feeling?"

_"Better. How's working with Sammy?"_

"Not nearly as horrible as you said. In fact, things run much more smoothly without you two arguing." Dean made an offended sound, and she grinned. "Just kidding. You'd better get well again so that we have you back. Sam misses you." She winked at Sam who snorted, not lifting his eyes from the computer that he had taken over.

_"Just Sammy?"_

"Well, I suppose I miss you too. Did you have some of the soup?"

_"Yup."_

"And you've gotten some sleep?"

_"Yes, ma'am." _

"Good. Well, I'd better get back to work. Want to be able to get back and take care of my man."

_"Sounds like a good plan."_

"Okay well, love you."

_"Be careful."_

"I will. Bye." Adiana hit the end call button on the phone. She would have handed it back to Sam but he was intently scrolling through a list of names on the computer in front of him. She nodded to the screen. "What's that?"

"List of current residents. And if I do this…" Sam held down a few keys and one of the names was highlighted in blue. With a few more keystrokes, he had all the names pasted into an open document. "These are the names of all the residents with military status." There were twelve names on the list, five of which were now deceased. Sam deleted them from the list, leaving seven names. "Okay, now we call these people and find out who's still in town."

"Should we warn them or something? Tell them there's someone killing anyone listed in the military?"

"Couldn't hurt." Sam took his cell back then and Adiana got out her own. Luckily, there weren't very many names that needed to be checked, but with the military background, those they did connect with asked very extensive questions about their family's safety. Adiana spent nearly twenty minutes convincing a nervous ex-sergeant that his wife was in no danger. Finally, she managed to get in the last word and hang up.

"That's everyone. Sorry. I couldn't get this one to stop talking about Vietnam." She pointed to one name on the list. "He's over in Iraq right now." Sam highlighted the name and deleted it.

"Same story with two of mine."

"So four left. But how do we know which one the baykok will go after? We can't exactly be in four places at once." They puzzled over the names, knowing that they couldn't afford to wait much longer. It was already dark, and another person could easily be taken tonight. Suddenly, Sam grabbed one of the files from the coroner's. "What?" Sam didn't answer. He scanned a finger down the first sheet, dropped the file in his lap and picked up the next one. "Sam, what?" But when he didn't reply a second time, Adiana just let him go until he had confirmed whatever was running through his head.

"All the people the baykok grabbed were active duty. I mean, they were home for a few months but they were active. So maybe the baykok only goes after people who still have 'warrior' status, at least at first. This guy's retired and so is this one." He pointed at the list.

"And Dan Boyle served in Vietnam so he must be retired. Which leaves Mark McDonnell."

"Right. And he lives…" Sam plugged McDonnell's address into an online map. "Just two miles from the logging company."

"Sounds promising. Stake out?"

"Stake out."

"Can we change out of these clothes first, though?" She wiggled her left foot. "If I have to run, I'm def going to trip and die in these heels." Sam laughed.

"Good idea. I'll get your bag." After Sam left, Adiana cleared the screens of all research, but not before taking down Mark McDonnell's address and directions to his house from the library. She straightened out all the reports and kept them in her arms as she left the computer area to put books back on their prospective shelves. By the time she came back, Sam was waiting with her bag and his own as well.

"Thanks." Adiana took it from him. "The bathrooms are back this way." She swung her bag slightly to indicate the direction, and they stepped between the rows of books. "As much fun as it is playing FBI agent, I'm so glad I can get out of this." She pulled at the corner of her pencil skirt, which was almost irritatingly straight. "I look like a no-nonsense school teacher straight out of a kid's nightmare."

"You don't." Adiana looked up at him and grinned.

"Don't I?" The grin vanished, replaced with a severe frown. Adiana's eyebrows knitted together and a kind of cold light entered her eyes. The tension in her jaw alone seemed to age her ten years. "Samuel Winchester, you pay attention when I am speaking to you. Now what was the answer to the last question I asked?" Sam shuffled away a half step, surprised.

"Now that is scary." Adiana quickly dropped the façade.

"Like I said." She playfully bumped her shoulder against him. "Better watch out. She could come back. It's something in the outfit. Come on." She hastened forward, not that Sam needed to go much faster to catch up with her. "We should hurry up, just in case." The sign for the bathrooms hung on the back wall, indicating that they were just around the corner.

"You don't look that bad in the getup."

"So you're saying I just look naturally like an evil school teacher? Ouch." Adiana put a hand to her chest. "That one hurt." Sam shrugged, putting up a hand to indicate that he didn't mean it in that way.

"No. I just meant… it doesn't look bad on you. You look good."

"Oh, now you're just trying to make up for it." Yet Adiana was secretly pleased with the compliment, even if he was just trying to soothe her.

"Hey." Sam stopped, and Adiana halted a few steps later. She tilted her head with a questioning glance. "I mean it."

"Um… sure." She laughed, a short burst that came more out of confusion than amusement. "You weren't trying to insult me. I get it. It's really okay."

"Yeah, I just… You… I sh–" Sam's eyes flickered back and forth, looking for the right words as if they were stretched out on a page in front of him and all he had to do was find them. Adiana, meanwhile, was completely baffled. He didn't really think that she felt insulted, did he? And besides she knew the clothes weren't completely horrendous. Okay, the skirt was pretty bad, but the rest was bearable.

"Never mind." Sam brushed passed her, and she turned to watch him disappear around the corner. Well that was… weird.


	29. What Goes Up Must Come Down

**For my reviewers: Elm Treigh, Egyptian Kiss, Alyssa43 and bonniebeast**

Adiana was bored out of her mind. Stakeouts, she decided, were the worst part of any hunt. Granted, she was glad to be in her regular clothes again, but while they were more comfortable to wear, they did nothing to keep her entertained. Still, this was the first hunt she was taking a lead in, so she was determined to do the job and do it right. She focused all of her attention on Mark McDonnell's house. They had parked the Impala across the street between two houses so they had a clear view of the McDonnell residence and could remain inconspicuous too. Already it had been almost two hours, and the front door showed absolutely no movement.

"I'm sorry." Sam's voice pulled Adiana out of an almost trance-like state. Her eyes flickered between him and the house for a moment, but then rested on him with a touch of confusion.

"What?"

"I never apologized for that." He gestured to her face with a wave of his fingers. The dark bruises had begun to show again through the fading cover up. "I'm sorry." She put a hand to her cheek, lightly brushing the puffy skin and laughed.

"Sam, you were possessed. As far as I'm concerned, you didn't give me these. Meg did." He shrugged.

"I know, but… well it was my body. All the things that happened… it's come back to me, you know? And what I said, that wasn't what I really think. Dean wouldn't cheat on you. He cares a lot about you, more than I've seen for anyone else." Adiana knew that Sam meant it. He hadn't lied to her yet, and she didn't think that he would start now. It was a nice thing to hear, and although she had known that Dean wasn't cheating, it meant a lot hearing it from Sam all the same. She smiled.

"Thanks, Sam." He nodded and turned back to the window. Quiet settled back into the Impala, but Adiana couldn't quite return to her scan of the house. Something was bugging her. Sam had apologized for Meg's lie about Dean's infidelity, but he hadn't mentioned anything about her proclamation that Sam had feelings for her. If he remembered it now, why wouldn't he have brought that up? Sure it might be a little embarrassing to say, but in that case he could have just told her that everything Meg had said was a lie. "Anything else?"

"What?" He didn't sound nervous, but Adiana noted a sudden tension that ran through his shoulders, so she pressed forward.

"I was just wondering if there was anything else you wanted to clarify, you know… about anything Meg said that you remember?"

"Um, like what?" She hesitated, shuffling in her seat. She didn't want to come right out and ask him about it. Oh, well, I was just wondering if you liked me because Meg also mentioned that. No, I know you like me Sam, I mean _like _like. Because that wouldn't sound conceited at all. Still, there was that weird episode in the library. He'd been so adamant that she "looked good" and then suddenly hurried off.

"I don't know. Just… anything."

"Nope." All right, that sounded less than convincing. Unless it was all in her head? She just wanted to know for sure. If he had no feelings for her, then hey great. They could move on and push the whole incident out of their minds. But if he did… well... It was true that she still thought he was attractive. A lot of girls would, right? He was a great guy, and she'd always hold a bit of a torch for him. But this didn't change the fact that she was in love with Dean. She just wanted to talk to Sam, so that he could hear from her directly. If that was even the case, which she wasn't sure of yet.

"Nothing… at all?" Why wouldn't he look at her, even just for a moment? That above all was keeping her interested.

"No. Why?" She bit her bottom lip pensively. How to bring this up… God, this was so difficult.

"Just something Dean said. He um… he mentioned that sometimes demons will tell the truth if they know it'll get to you, so I thought if there was anything else you'd like to just… get out there…"

"Oh…" He trailed off into silence. His hands were clenched, she noticed. His knuckles were practically white, bones protruding as he gripped the sledgehammer in his lap. Had they been like that before? She couldn't dance around the point much longer.

"Sam?"

"Yeah?" She paused. A deep breath.

"Look at me." It wasn't a demand, just a request, but her chest tightened as she said it. Her stomach felt like she was on a roller coaster, poised at the top of a hill, ready to shoot down the other side. She crossed her arms over her chest. His lips sounded dry as they parted.

"I think – Hey!" As he nodded toward the house, Adiana reluctantly directed her attention out through his window. The front door of the house had opened, and Mark McDonnell stood on the front step of his porch. Judging from the rapid rising and falling of his shoulders, he was breathing heavily and hard anger was etched into his face. A fight with his wife, perhaps? Whatever the reason, it had driven him outside and should he choose to go for a walk, the baykok might show itself. Although she'd spent most of the stakeout in anticipation of this moment, Adiana found herself wishing that he'd turn around and go back inside. Oh well, maybe she could talk to Sam later. Or maybe it was a good thing that they didn't. She had a bad habit of overanalyzing things anyway.

Mark shuffled around on the porch, most likely debating if he wanted to go back inside. One glimpse inside a window and he seemed to think better of it. Instead, he started down the porch steps two at a time and strode across his lawn. Adiana reached for the plastic canister of gasoline by her feet. On the drive over, they'd decided it would be best just to bring the sledge hammer and gasoline along. If they tracked the baykok back to its lair, it was going to be very difficult to find again in the dark. She hadn't been thrilled with her lack of weaponry until Sam pointed out that the baykok could only be harmed by breaking bones and the canister was certainly heavy enough to do that. Time for her developing upper body strength to pay off some.

They waited after Mark had gone down the street until he was nearly out of sight. Then by unspoken agreement, they both got out of the Impala and followed him on the opposite sidewalk. Adiana had the gasoline in one hand and a flashlight ready in the other. If they were in the woods, it was going to be extremely dark and there wouldn't be any chance of them catching the baykok then. The flashlights might give away their location, but it was a better option than running blindly into a tree. Houses began to thin out as they walked, patches of trees growing into dense clumps. Mark was nothing more than a shadowy silhouette far in front of them, drifting in and out of patches of moonlight. A shadowy silhouette that was suddenly staggering. From the edge of the woods, a shrill cry of victory shot through the night. Adiana and Sam started to sprint as Mark hit the ground, succumbing to the poison of an unseen arrow. They had to be fast. The lore had specified the inhuman speed of the baykok.

Unless they had misjudged this situation, for Mark began to move on the ground with a smooth rolling motion over onto his side. He straightened up into a sitting position only… only he didn't seem to be using his arms at all. His body jerked up suddenly and flopped over in mid-air, curving as if he had just jumped from a springboard.

"What's happening?" asked Sam, never hesitating despite the unexpected turn of events. Adiana had a bit more misgivings and might have stopped had Sam not kept running.

"I don't know." Another shriek pierced the air so high in pitch that Adiana's ears throbbed. It came from just ahead, almost sounding like it had emanated from Mark.

"Can they turn invisible?"

"No." At least, Adiana really hoped they couldn't. None of the books or websites had mentioned anything. Mark's body hovered above the ground and then took off into the trees with, they could only assume, the baykok taking the lead. As they followed the floating figure, her mind raced with all the information she had gathered.

Skeleton-like creature. It was unsettling how quickly the light began to fade as they made their way deeper into the woods. Two flashlights clicked on. Faster but not stronger than it had been in life. Sam had his flashlight trained on Mark, so Adiana angled her towards the ground, illuminating any tree roots or rocks to avoid. Used a club or arrow to render victims unconscious. The canister of gasoline tugged at her arm as it hit a low-slung tree branch, and she pulled it in closer to her body. An angry shriek from the baykok, but still there was no sight of it. Attacked warriors, but only appeared to one at a time. Hang on. An idea flashed through Adiana's mind, and there was only one way to test her theory. She flipped the flashlight in her hand so the beam was pointed by her feet. It would be of no use, but this was more important. She put on an extra spurt of speed to catch up to Sam and grabbed onto the sleeve of his jacket. Her steps needed to be nearly two for his one, but she was going to have to stay right next to him even if he was the better runner.

"Don't me let crash into a tree!"

"Why would you-" Adiana shut her eyes quickly. "Wait, how—I can see it!" Oh good. Well at least it worked. On the other hand, her balance was shifting and running blind was making her incredibly nervous. One wrong step and it was a broken ankle, and she had no desire to leave Sam to take this on alone.

"Some of the books said that the baykok 'only appears to one warrior at a time'. I guess they meant that literally." She skidded on a rock, eyes flashing open instinctively before she could shut them again. Ugh, why couldn't the baykok nest in a nice field where she wouldn't be an inch away from stumbling or smacking into a tree?

"Yeah… wait what?"

"I have my eyes closed." Adiana gasped as she felt his muscles shifting beneath her hand. "You're the only thing keeping me… from face planting… into the ground." She took heavy breaths between her words and knew then that she needed to stop talking. Running was taking enough out of her as it was, and she didn't know how much longer they were going to be at it. Already she had the sinking feeling that she was slowing Sam down, and she just hoped that Mark was doing the same to the baykok. The occasional shriek passed from the baykok's mouth, and the creature did seem to be getting closer. And closer. And… moving upwards? Sam stopped short. Adiana was wrenched forward and would have fallen if she hadn't been holding onto his arm so tightly.

"You didn't… say it could fly," Sam breathed. Adiana felt a sinking feeling in her gut.

"Let me see." She opened her eyes, tilting her head back. All she could make out was a small patch of sky between thick branches. Maybe her eyes needed to adjust to the darkness more? But then Sam closed his eyes, and she saw it floating up through the trees. Its skin was a sickly ashen shade, pulled so tight that the bones jutted out along a skeleton that had once been human. Mark was slung over its shoulder, apparently rendered nearly weightless by the creature. Maybe it had decided that running was no longer its best option. The baykok suddenly glanced down, its eyes just pinpricks of red-illuminated sunken eye sockets, and screamed before disappearing through the trees. "It went this way." Adiana yanked on Sam's arm and they started running again. She didn't bother closing her eyes. The trees were so close together that they formed a ceiling above their heads. No more cries came, and it was impossible to tell if they were even heading in the right direction anymore. Eventually, they just had to stop. "Sam, wait. Wait." Sam stopped as Adiana leaned back against a tree.

"You okay?" He turned his flashlight so the beam was near enough to illuminate her face.

"Yeah, I'm fine but… we just have to think about this for a sec." Adiana set the gasoline jug on the ground and rubbed her free hand over the burning muscles in her thigh. "We don't even know if we're going the right way, and we could be lost all night. And I'm so sorry. This is all my fault." Guilt wracked her body, mixing with the adrenaline in an unsteady sensation. If Mark McDonnell died, it was going to be on her. "I just… the flying, it showed up in less than twenty percent of the research so I thought that someone just made it up or something. I screwed everything up." Sam shook his head.

"Hey, it's not your fault."

"But I-"

"No. If something doesn't show up that much in the lore, we usually don't pay that much attention to it. And even if we knew the baykok could fly, we wouldn't have been able to stop it."

"But if Mark dies-"

"He's not gonna die, and if he does, you couldn't have stopped it." Adiana nodded. "Now we're going this way," he pointed the way they had been running, "because that's the way the baykok first went, so it's the best chance we have. Okay?"

"Yeah." She picked up the gasoline and took a deep breath, training her own flashlight once again on the ground. "Yeah, let's go." And they started moving again, only jogging this time.

Adiana felt a bit better, but not much. One thing was for sure, she was never making this mistake again. She wasn't going to discount any lore unless there was good proof to counter it. At least Sam hadn't been upset with her. As if he'd actually tell her if he was. It made a little more sense now, why he'd been so upset that he couldn't save everyone. After all, wasn't that just her initial reaction? But she was going to have to get past it, and so would he.

"That was good advice, by the way. Maybe you should listen to yourself a bit more," she suggested as they moved further into the forest, flashlights swinging around in search of a place for a baykok to hide. "You know about not being able to stop someone from dying, that sort of thing," she continued when Sam didn't respond.

"I think it's a good thing you're taking time away from my brother," Sam replied, "because you're starting to sound like him." Adiana smiled for the first time in hours. She cleared her throat, trying to make her voice as gruff as possible.

"You call that running, Sammy? This isn't Baywatch. C'mon, let's move."

"Oh God, please stop."

"Only because you said please." And because they should really be listening for the baykok. There hadn't been any shrieking, but the cracking of bones was supposed to be audible as well. Her flashlight traced the ground, flickering up into the trees which began to thin out to her left. "I think the logging company's been in here." The beam of Sam's flashlight swept past hers.

"Looks like it. We should be close then." Their jog slowed to a quick walk. So, what could this lair possibly be? Something large enough for a baykok to hide in with a body, but nothing that a hiker would try to get into. Unremarkable-looking then. But there were no rock formations or anything, just plenty of trees and stones. Familiar stones.

"Sam." Adiana crouched in a space between trees. By her feet was a line of palm-sized sandstone rocks. The coroner had said they were common, but these were the first she had noticed. She picked up one, flipping it over in her hand. Still no writing or anything helpful that she could see. As Sam squatted next to her, she passed the sandstone to him. Her fingers brushed pine needles and dead leaves away from the other rocks, dirt gathering on her skin. But dirt wasn't the only thing her hands revealed. A corner of thatched sticks poked up through a bedding of needles. Adiana leaned forward and swept the debris away until she uncovered a woven door of branches. Carefully, she pulled the door aside and leaned it up against a tree. A hole had been dug into the ground, large enough for a man to get through and then some.

"I think we found our baykok hideout." Sam shone his flashlight into the hole. The light barely touched the floor. It was a long drop and no ladder. Of course not. The baykok could fly.

"What are we going to do?" Adiana and Sam considered the problem in front of them. Sam dropped his hammer down into the hole. It hit the bottom with a heavy _thump_.

"We're going in."

"Are you sure, because that's a really long-" Sam swung his legs over the edge and dropped down through the gap. "…fall." Adiana winced as Sam hit the ground and staggered. "And we have no way of getting back up," she mumbled. "But you know, just details." Sam swung his flashlight around and looked back up at her.

"There's a tunnel," he hissed quietly so as not to alert the baykok, assuming it hadn't heard them already.

"Great um… why don't you go check it out, and I'll stay up here so we're not stuck… No, wait." Adiana changed her mind as Sam ducked into the tunnel and out of sight. He poked his head back out. "If something happens, I'm not going to be able to get help fast enough anyway. Catch." She tossed the canister of gasoline down, and Sam grabbed it.

Sam set everything on the ground and held out his arms. Adiana shifted so that she was sitting on the edge. This was the second time she'd had to fall and trust him to catch her. Hopefully this wasn't going to become a regular thing. But she'd been higher last time, and he'd managed. She shuffled along the rim.

"Well, here goes nothing." Then, she pushed off. Free falling with her hands clamped around her flashlight in a vice-like grip, and then strong arms stopped her from hitting the ground. "Sam, we have to stop meeting like this," she teased, but with relief.

"Yeah, I guess." Sam smiled awkwardly and set Adiana down on the ground where she picked up the gasoline and let him take the lead down the tunnel. They picked their way through tree roots, probably used for keeping the dirt walls packed in. Ahead of them came the creaking sound of bones. They froze. So they'd found the right place. He clicked his flashlight off. She hesitantly did the same, leaving them in pitch-black darkness. Again they crept forward, guided by their hands along the walls and slow shuffling footsteps. At least the baykok wasn't coming after them. Yet. Creeping fear slithered under Adiana's skin. She hated going in blind, but at least they knew that the creature was in front of them. If there was only one of them. She shivered as a chill ran down her spine. Oh please, let there only be one of them.

Up ahead, light flickered. A fire, maybe? The baykok couldn't see perfectly in the dark, and removing a liver was delicate work. Sam's silhouette was discernible through the blackness, and she took some comfort from the sledgehammer swinging in his grip. She could do this. They could do this. She'd screwed up once already. Failure now, as far as she was concerned, wasn't an option. Sam halted just outside the patch of light on the floor, pressing himself up against the wall. Adiana followed suit but tilted her head out to get a glimpse of the room in front of them. It was about twice as wide as the tunnel and all of the roots had been cleared aside. Mark lay on the floor, his shirt pulled open to reveal his bare chest which rose and fell restfully. Next to him was a rusting insect repellent lamp which sputtered every few minutes. A heavy wooden club rested against the wall next to another tunnel, but apart from that, the room was empty. No baykok. Sam's breath abruptly brushed against her ear.

"Stay here." Adiana nodded and watched apprehensively as he set his flashlight down and stepped out into the glow of the lamp. He skirted Mark's body and made for the other tunnel. Bones crackled, echoing loudly in the near silence. Adiana tensed and shut her eyes. The baykok was coming back. Sam backed up against the wall, holding the hammer in both hands. His eyes were trained on the blackness, and out of it stepped the baykok.

Its bones were dark black shadows beneath the skin, shifting as it moved. A long sliver blade protruded from one hand. It went two steps into the room, beady red eyes focused on its prey when Sam swung. The hammer should have connected, but the baykok heard the whistle of the tool through the air and it danced aside. The creature shrieked shrilly. Adiana thought her eardrums might have popped. She dropped her gear and slammed her hands over her ears. Luckily for her, the baykok was too focused on Sam to notice the sound. It skirted, nearly floated, around Mark as Sam swung the hammer again but the spirit was too quick. With a flash of silver, the baykok threw a knife through the air, embedding in the hammer but not cutting all the way through as the baykok had intended. They continued to circle the body on the floor. The baykok was unwilling to ruin its meal, and Sam wasn't about to hurt the man either. The creature made a dive for its club, giving Sam another chance with the hammer. This time it connected. Bones splintered in its shoulder, jutting out of ripped skin. The baykok retaliated with a strike of the club, hitting Sam solidly on his upper back. Adiana winced at the sound. That was going to leave a serious bruise. The two went back to circling each other, around and around like caged lions.

Adiana shifted restlessly. She couldn't just sit here and listen to what was happening. Then she was just useless, and as much respect as she had for Sam, she didn't like the odds. They were on the baykok's turf, and it was an extremely fast warrior spirit. And they just kept circling and circling. Sam's footsteps would pass and the lighter steps of the baykok. Never taking their eyes off each other. That's it! Silently, she felt along the ground and picked the gasoline jug from where she had dropped it. This had better work because she only had one shot. Seizing the canister firmly in both hands, she lifted it up over her shoulder. Soft crunching sounds on the packed earth. Okay, one… two… She stepped up to the end of the tunnel just as the baykok moved in front of her. Sam understood in that second what she was going to do and he shut his eyes. Three. Adiana's eyes flashed open and she brought the gasoline over her head and down with as much force as she could muster. It hit the back of the baykok's head with a sickening _crunch_. Stunned, it stumbled forward. That was the chance Sam had needed. Adiana's eyes flicked shut again as Sam opened his. His hammer arched and slammed into the creature's head. The skin tore, and the skull went flying, ripped clean from the neck. The rest of the body staggered and fell on its side. Skeleton hands tried to push it back up, but Adiana heard the scrambling on the floor and leapt forward, jumping on it. Ribs broken beneath her feet. Just bones, not a human. Just bones, she repeated to herself to ward off the nauseous feeling as she jumped up and down again for good measure. But then Sam had come around to help her, and she backed off to let him destroy the skeleton.

"I got this," he assured her between hammer strokes. "Why don't you see what's down there?" He nodded toward the tunnel the baykok had come from before realizing that her eyes were still shut. "In the other tunnel. Might be a way out."

"Sure." Adiana opened her eyes once her back was turned went back for her flashlight and left the gasoline with Sam as he yanked the knife out of his hammer and continued the heavy rain of blows on what remained of the baykok. The second tunnel was much like the first, and she had to pick her way around roots again. There was a small area carved out where a pile of old bones rested. Perhaps warriors that had woken up, or just people that had stumbled in. There was a niche above one of the branches that just about matched the length of the knife. Must have been why the baykok had been down there in the first place. She continued on, the ground slanting upward beneath her feet carrying her up through a shrinking tunnel. It would have been a promising sign, except for the wall of earth covering the end of the tunnel. Adiana shone her flashlight over it. Dead end. But why continue the tunnel to this point at all?

She tilted the flashlight beam upwards. No, that was solid ground. She scanned the dirt in front of her again, and this time she saw it. A hole near the top of her head. She reached up and stuck her hand in, pulling dirt back with it. The soil was loose and came down easily in her hands. Again, she reached and brushed away more dirt. The hole widened until it was large enough that Adiana could have easily fit her head through. Then, the dirt began to rain down and she backed away as it spilled from the ceiling and the packed wall in front of her, tumbling like an avalanche. When it had cleared, there was an opening large enough that even Sam would be able to climb through it. Curious, Adiana clambered over the dirt, crawling out into the open air. The tunnel led out to a large dirt pile created, evidently, by a bulldozer resting only a few feet away. So the logging company had disturbed the baykok after all. It had come knocking right on its back door. No wonder it had been pissed. She sighed, kicked aside some of the dirt with her foot. They'd turned its home into a gopher hole.

* * *

"I don't know about you," Adiana groaned, leaning back against the seat of the Impala, "but I am definitely going to be in a world of pain tomorrow." After burning the baykok's bones, she and Sam had carried a thoroughly unconscious Mark McDonnell back through the path the loggers had made. They'd managed to drag him with one of his arms over each of their shoulders, but he wasn't exactly light and they'd already used up most of their energy. Once they got back to the main road, Adiana called his wife on Mark's cell and they hid across the street until she pulled up in her car. Took one look at her husband and instead of helping him, pulled out her phone and started calling everyone in the phone. In Dean's car, the excitement of the night was wasting down leaving Adiana feeling sore all over.

"That's for sure." Sam stopped at an intersection, taking the few seconds to stretch his back where the baykok had struck him. "But hey, we saved Mark McDonnell's life."

"Very true. So it was worth it."

"And great work on your first case by the way." Adiana laughed.

"_Our_ first case. No way I could have done that without you, but thanks."

"Hey, how about we get a drink to celebrate?" Adiana looked over at Sam. He was paying attention to the road and didn't glance over. He seemed serious.

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Uh, well I appreciate the offer but I'm covered with dirt. And it's-" she checked the clock, "-almost midnight, and I feel like I could sleep for a year."

"C'mon, just one? It'd probably make you feel less like you've been doing a hard core marathon." Sam's features melted easily into that sweet, pleading look he did so well.

"Well, I'm powerless against the puppy dog face, so yeah." Adiana grinned at him. "Let's live a little." He matched her smile. She pulled her legs up onto the seat and rested against the door. It couldn't hurt to stay out just a little longer. Besides, this was something to celebrate. She'd proved that she could do the job. Maybe not perfectly, but well enough for her first go-around. And she would kill for something that was going to numb the protests of her tired muscles. And what did it matter if she looked a mess? Wasn't like she had anyone to impress, and Sam had seen her look a lot worse. Covered in ectoplasm, for example. Now that had been disgusting.

They pulled in at Clear Lake Bar. Despite the late hour and relatively small town, the bar was still busy. Motorcycles were lined up against one of the walls and spilled over into the car slots. Most of those were taken up also by cars of all makes and models. The bar itself was made of clean cut wood, painted dark red. Must be making a good chunk of money, but then again it was probably the only bar in town. It was the only one Adiana had noticed at least. She ran her hands through her hair a few times before opening the car door. Sam, however, made no move to get out.

"Are you coming?"

"Yeah. I'm just gonna call Dean." Sam took out his cell and began punching in numbers. "He's probably wondering where we are."

"Oh, good idea. I'll see if I can find us a table in the meantime." Adiana hopped out of the Impala and shut the door behind her. The inside of the bar was just as busy as it looked on the outside. Staff and customers milled about with drinks, chatting over the music that came from a local band staked out on the stage. Well, this didn't look promising. "Excuse me." She shuffled around a waitress with a tray of empty glasses. She found herself repeating that phrase over and over as she waded between people, tables and semi-circular booths, until to her surprise she saw what looked to be an open booth. She slipped around another waitress and discovered that the booth wasn't empty after all. But she wasn't disappointed, only confused.

"Hey babe. I've been waiting for you all night."

"Dean?" Dean grinned at her.

"That's my name."

"Wha… what are you doing here?" Adiana glanced around to make sure she wasn't just having some sort of weird over-tired hallucination. "I thought you were sick."

"Yeah." He shrugged. "Not so much."

"Um, excuse me." A group of women were trying to get past Adiana, the leader looking at her expectantly. Adiana slid into the booth, sliding all the way over next to Dean to let the women pass. Her nose crinkled as she caught the strong scent of alcohol.

"How much have you been drinking?" Dean furrowed his brow, staring at the glass of beer in front of him.

"I don't know. I've been here since like… eight."

"Eight? You've been drinking by yourself for four hours?" Adiana opened and shut her mouth a few times before rubbing her forehead in disbelief. "You should check your phone. Sam's probably trying to call you right now."

"Not exactly." Adiana looked up as Sam sat across from her.

"You knew about this?" He nodded apologetically. "Okay, what's going on?"

"Told you she wouldn't remember." Dean smirked at his brother and lifted his glass to take another gulp of beer.

"I never said she would," Sam huffed.

"Remember what?" Adiana was getting more puzzled by the minute. "Guys, what's going on?"

"Check your phone," Dean prompted. Adiana checked with Sam to see if that was going to help any, but he was silent. She gave up and pulled her phone out of her pocket.

"No messages." She flipped it open. "Yeah, I don't…" She stared at the screen. "Oh, no way." Dean wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"Happy twenty-first, Adiana."

"I can't believe you remembered. I haven't even been paying attention to this." Adiana shoved her phone back in her pocket, shaking her head and smiling.

"I did get you cake…" started Dean, reaching under the table.

"But he ate it all," Sam finished. Dean frowned.

"Did not." Sam raised a skeptical eyebrow. Dean rolled his eyes. "Okay, so maybe I ate it and bought another one. I got hungry, okay?" He set a small white box with a red supermarket tag on the table. Adiana flipped open the top of the box. Inside was a mini chocolate-frosted cake with red roses and 'Happy Birthday' written in green.

"It looks delicious." She hadn't even realized how hungry she was until now.

"It is, trust me."

"When a waitress comes by we'll get some forks and a knife. I cannot wait to eat this. Thank you." She leaned upwards and gave Dean a grateful kiss. "This was sweet of you."

"Well uh-" Sam cleared his throat. "While we're waiting…" He pulled a card and a package wrapped in newspaper out from the inside of his coat.

"Seriously?" Adiana took the gift from him. "You guys are the best." She tore open the envelope first and took out the card. On the front was a Labrador puppy clutching a beer bottle between its paws with "21?" typed next to it. She giggled. "You have no idea how much I love that there is a puppy on this."

She opened the card and inside was printed "Wow so now you're legal. So enjoy and celebrate, but beware of the hangover!" There was a picture of the same dog, only sitting next to a sign with "Beware of the Hangover" carved into the wood. Underneath all of this, Sam had neatly written "Happy 21st Birthday Adiana! –Sam". She set the card down on the table, planning on keeping it, and ripped the newspaper away from her present. Or rather presents.

"The new Nintendo DS Lite, two games and my absolutely favorite book _Pride and Prejudice_?" Adiana turned to Sam and threw her arms around him. "Please never stop being a geek." He laughed, giving her a light hug. "Thanks."

"You're welcome."

"That's hard to top." Dean tapped something twice against the table. Adiana let Sam go and turned her attention to the present in Dean's hand. "But I'll give it a try."

"Well there's no card, so it's a good thing you already got points with the cake," she teased, holding out a hand. He gave her the gift.

"Here's half your present."

"Half? When do I get the rest?" He winked.

"Later."

"I'm pretty sore already." She gave Dean a cat-like smile. "I might need a rain check."

"Okay," Sam interrupted. "I'm stopping this before it goes any further."

"Always gotta ruin the fun, Sammy," Dean reprimanded, but Adiana had moved on already and was tearing off red tissue paper until all that was resting in her hands was a long velvet-lined box. Her face lit up before she even opened it. There was only one thing that came in lovely boxes like this. The box clicked open. Inside was a necklace. On the silver chain was a pendant of two looping rings of white gold with one white and one black diamond sparkling in the center.

"Dean, this is…" She tilted the box and the brand name became visible. "Oh my God, these are real!"

"Course. Nothing but the best for mmpf…" Dean didn't get a chance to finish as Adiana kissed him, making sure he knew just how much she appreciated this. She entwined her arms around his neck, pressing her body up against him as his arm snaked around her waist. After several minutes of this, Sam made a disgusted sound and Adiana drew her lips away, her face flushed. Dean ran a hand over her hip, fingers brushing lower over her jeans. "Hell, baby if I knew diamonds made you this happy, I'd have gotten them for you earlier."

"Now you know, but this gives you more than enough brownie points to last you a while." She gave him one last peck. "Help me put it on?"

"Sure." Adiana gently lifted the necklace out of the box and undid the clasp. She handed it over to Dean and swept her hair up, holding it in a makeshift ponytail over her right shoulder. Dean looped the chain around her neck and hooked the clasp together. He placed a kiss on her exposed throat before she let her hair fall.

"Thank you." Adiana looked to Sam. "Both of you. How'd you even get all of this?" The Winchesters exchanged a meaningful glance.

"Well we'd tell you, but then we'd have to…" Dean bit down on his tongue as Adiana stared up at him. He coughed, running a hand past his mouth. "We're just good like that." Adiana shrugged, still feeling giddy. Good enough for her. She had an actual diamond necklace. Everything else was just details.

"Yes you are. I didn't need some crazy twenty first birthday rager. This is honestly so much better than anything I ever expected."

"Well we figured you could do without the blackouts," Sam said with a smile.

"Yeah and waking up in some alley with weird matching tattoos," added Dean.

"Hmmm…" Adiana drummed her fingers lightly against Dean's chest, right under the collarbone. "Matching tattoos, you say?"


	30. Tall Tales Part I

**For my reviewers: chase83, Elm Treigh, bonniebeast, Alyssa43 and Dean's Racy Ally**

Dean walked out of the campus bar, rubbing his still-wet hands over his pants. College campus like this, you'd think they could at least afford to keep the freaking paper towels stocked. He'd had to park the Impala at the lot down the block and that's where he was heading now. It was early in the evening, and students were still all over campus. He hardly took in the people as they passed him, the strangeness of this case flooding his brain. What was this, The Day the Earth Stood Still? Aliens didn't exist. There was no way. Two hot young co-eds sauntered by, looking at him and giggling. He glanced back over his shoulder as they continued down the sidewalk. There were some chicks you noticed no matter what.

He approached the parking lot where Sam and Adiana were already waiting next to the Impala. Adiana was leaning against the passenger door, her back to him nodding at something Sam was saying. His brother gestured over the chain link fence and paused before smiling. That trusty geek-boy smile. Dean had to admit that seeing that smile annoyed him a bit. Sam had been bitching about everything lately, and it was grating on his nerves. But Adiana was still going to be nice to him, so he was going to have to deal with it. Maybe too nice. And then Adiana leaned up and pulled Sam in for a kiss. Definitely too nice. Dean felt like he'd been punched in the gut. Sam didn't back away. Nothing. Rage, disbelief, depression all clawed at his consciousness. Through it all cut a single crystal-clear thought. Keep walking, Dean. Keep walking or you're going to do something you'll regret. So he did.

He passed the parking lot, not looking back, not wanting to see more of the image that was already seared into his brain. Explanation. There had to be some sort of explanation. Yeah, your girl and brother are screwing around behind your back. There's your explanation. He had never, not once even considered a situation like this. Hell, he would have laughed it off if he hadn't seen it himself. Sammy, his brother, who was so awkward with girls, who could barely keep a secret, sulking around behind his back? Well, Dad warned you that he might turn, didn't he? Go dark side, as Sam himself had put it. Dean shoved his hands in his coat pockets, clenching them into fists. He just never thought… And Adiana. She'd been the best thing to happen to him since he discovered apple pie. She was the one person he had been able to trust, but he should have known better. It had been too good to last. How long now? How many times had she kissed him and imagined his brother's face? The thought made his skin crawl.

There was an empty bench and he sat down on it, resting his elbows on his knees and rubbing his hands over his face. Was she happier this way? Were they happier? He knew he wasn't exactly grade-A boyfriend material, but he was trying. If she was this damn miserable with him, then she should have just said so to his face. Yeah, it would have stung like hell but this… this was so much worse. Stabbed in the back by the two people he cared most about. Fuck. What was he even supposed to do now?

"Hey." Dean looked up at Adiana. She was smiling. No please, twist the knife a little more. I'm not in enough pain already. "Worst game of hide-and-seek ever." She had no idea. Absolutely no fucking clue. I know, he wanted to say. I know. But that would just start a scene. He wasn't going to deal with this. Not here. Not now. "Are you okay?" She reached out to touch his cheek. "You look-"

"I'm fine." Dean stood up before she could touch him, flashing a false smile at her concerned gaze. "Doing just… awesome. Really this whole week has been just… awesome."

* * *

_**Two Days Later**_

Adiana was sprawled out on a motel bed, reading over an old book that was supposed to help with the research. Really, she was barely registering the words. Her eyes roved over the same paragraph multiple times, but nothing clicked. She ran a hand over glassy eyes and sucked in a breath before trying the same sentence for the sixth time.

Sam sat on a couch, slumped over the coffee table in front of him. It was littered with newspapers and books. Three of them were open, but he was currently scanning the one perched atop the highest stack. A loud knock cut through the near silence. They both looked up from their books. Sam closed the cover of his book and went to answer the door. After checking through the peephole, he threw the door wide.

"Hey Bobby." Bobby Singer strolled in, his hands shoved in the pockets of his pants. He gave the motel room a brief once-over before speaking.

"Hey, you two." Adiana shifted on her bed, sitting up and swinging her legs over the edge as Bobby approached. She held out a hand.

"Hi Bobby." They shook hands. If he noticed her sullen appearance, he was kind enough not to mention it. Or he just didn't like to touch on emotions.

"It's good to see you again so soon." Sam shut the door and came to shake Bobby's hand as well.

"Thanks for coming." Bobby nodded. His eyes darted around once more, as if he might have missed the one member of the group not present.

"Where's your brother?" Tension thickened the air in a long pause.

"He went out for a walk," Adiana explained finally, her voice quiet. "I'll text him." She shuffled back along the bed to get her cell phone from the night stand.

"So um… what didn't you want to talk to me on the phone about?" Bobby asked Sam curiously.

"It's this job we're working." Sam shrugged with embarrassment. "We weren't sure you'd believe us." Bobby wasn't convinced.

"Well, I can believe a lot."

"Yeah, no. No, it's just – we've never seen anything like it and we thought we could use some fresh eyes." Bobby considered this. If they really needed his help, it couldn't hurt to at least stay and listen.

"Well, why don't you start at the beginning?"

"Yeah, um, all right." Sam waved toward the empty bed, gesturing for Bobby to sit. Bobby pushed back some of the covers and took a seat on the end. Sam pulled up a chair from the table as Adiana spread back out on her bed, resting her chin in her hands. "So, it all started when we caught wind of an obit. See, a professor took a nosedive from a fourth-story window, only there's a campus legend that the building's haunted. So we pretexted as reporters from the local paper…"

* * *

Sam and Adiana sat at a bar table across from two college students, one a jock in an oversized football jacket named Curtis and the other an attractive girl named Jen who had a slightly ditzy smile that rarely left her face. Sam set down a voice recorder, flicking it with the tips of his fingers so that it slid to the center of the table.

"Yeah, we both had the professor for Ethics and Morality," Curtis confirmed nonchalantly.

"Yeah? So why do you think he did it?" questioned Sam, settling back in his chair.

"Who knows?" Jen giggled nervously. "I mean, he was tenured, wife and kids." Her eyes got really round, and her head bobbed along with her words. "His book is like a really big deal. Then again…" She glanced at Curtis and then leaned forward as if sharing a big secret. "Who's to say it's suicide?" Sam focused his attention on her. If he was going to learn anything, she was obviously the one to tell him. Curtis was less than thrilled by this gossip.

"Jen, come on," he scoffed. Adiana acted surprised and bent forward, conspiratorially.

"You don't think he committed suicide?" Jen shook her head while that smile still gripping the edges of her mouth.

"Well, you know Crawford Hall?" Adiana cocked her head, genuinely interested now.

"No, we don't."

"It's a bunch of crap," Curtis interrupted, frowning at his companion. "It's a total urban legend." Jen was annoyed by his lack of enthusiasm, and it showed in the tenseness of her hands as she suddenly drew them off the table.

"Yeah well, Heather's mom went to school here and she knew the girl."

"Wait, what girl?" Sam asked. Glad that she at least had two interested listeners, Jen was eager to tell the rest of her story.

"Thirty years ago, this girl was having an affair with some professor. He broke it off so…" She paused for dramatic effect before continuing in a sudden rush. "She jumped out the window and killed herself."

"You know her name?"

"No." Jen deflated, but immediately perked back up. It was really rather unnerving to watch. "But they say she jumped from room six-six-nine. Get it?" She looked between Adiana and Sam to make sure they really understood. "You turn the nine upside down." They nodded, and satisfied, Jen straightened up again. "So now she haunts the building. And anyone who sees her? They don't live to tell the tale." Curtis rolled his eyes.

"Well, if no one lives to tell the tale, then how does that tale get told?" Jen hit him on the arm. He winced, rubbing the tender spot as she pouted.

"Curtis! Shut up!" Sam leaned over next to Adiana's ear.

"You got this?" She turned to answer him while the couple was still distracted.

"Yeah. Go find out if Dean got anything." He nodded and waved a hand at Jen and Curtis, getting up from his chair.

"Uh, thanks a lot guys. Excuse me." Sam had a feeling that Dean would be at the bar, and he wasn't disappointed. Dean was sitting on one of the barstools right at the end of the bar, the bartender setting down some shots in front of him. Probably hadn't even gotten any information. "Dean." His brother did not turn around, so Sam stepped up beside him and watched as he knocked back three shots of some dark purple liquid that looked like cough syrup. "Dean, what are you drinking?" Dean burped unceremoniously and ran a hand over his mouth.

"I don't know, man. I think they're called purple nurples." He chuckled to himself and grinned widely. No information and borderline drunk. Great.

"Okay, well listen. I think maybe we should go check out the professor's office."

"Oh no, no, no. I can't right now. I'm working. I've got some feisty little wildcat on the hook. I'm about to-" Dean made a buzzing sound and moved his hands in the air as if pulling in an imaginary fish "-reel her in. I'll introduce you." Dean turned to the seat next to him, wobbling on the stool. Sam sighed. How Adiana put up with this, he had no idea. He just hoped that she wouldn't notice.

"Dean. I think-"

"Starla! Starla, hey." A voluptuous blonde peered over Dean's shoulder. She was heavily made up and wearing clothing that barely covered any of her skin. She blinked fuzzily, a large drink in her hand. Despite her drunkenness or perhaps because of it, Dean looked very pleased with himself. "This is my shuttle co-pilot Major Tom. Major Tom, Starla." Starla wrapped an arm around Dean from behind and held out her drink.

"Enchanté." Sam forced a polite smile.

"Hi." Starla turned away, putting a hand over her mouth, and gagged several times. Sam winced, expecting her to throw up, but she shook herself out and twisted back around with pride.

"Sorry. Just trying to keep my liquor down."

"Yeah!" Dean patted her on the shoulder. "Good job." His focus switched back to Sam, who was wondering if it would be best just to walk away at this point. "Hey, good news. She's got a sister." He leaned back into Starla's arms. She raised her eyebrows several times in a suggestive manner, her tongue poking out over her lips while her hands snaked over Dean's shoulders.

"_Whoa, whoa, whoa." Dean interrupted. He had come back several minutes earlier, but had just let Sam continue with the story. Until now. "Hold on a minute." _

"_What?" Sam asked, irritated. _

"_Come on dude, that's not how it happened."_

"_No?" He looked meaningfully at Bobby. "So you never drank a purple nurple?"_

"_Yeah, maybe that," Dean conceded. "But I don't say things like 'feisty little wildcat'. And her name wasn't Starla." _

"_What was it then?" Adiana questioned, watching his reaction carefully. Dean opened and shut his mouth once before replying. _

"_I don't know. But she was a classy chick," he assured Bobby. "She was a grad student, anthropology and folklore. We were talking about local ghost stories." _

Dean was leaning against the bar with a purple nurple held in his hand like a glass of champagne. A stunning woman stood across from him with the same drink. She was wearing an Audrey Hepburn black cocktail dress and just enough jewelry to keep her looking sophisticated. She tilted the shot glass in a toast.

"Here's to…"

"Here's to us," Dean finished for her. They knocked their glasses together before drinking the shot down. The woman set her glass down on the bar, never taking her eyes off him.

"My god. You are attractive." Dean smiled.

"Thanks. But no time for that now. You need to tell me about this urban legend. Please." He held up a hand as she shifted forward, practically panting. "Lives are at stake." She ran a hand through her hair in frustration.

"Sorry, I just…" She wet her lips, unable to look away, before continuing, "…can't even concentrate." She stepped closer so that she was practically on top of him, slipping her hands over his chest. "It's like staring… into the sun." Dean knew that she would lean in for a kiss even before she tried it, and he was about to stop her when Sam stepped up beside him.

"Dean! What do you think you're doing?" Sam scolded in a nasally tone. Dean reluctantly looked over at him. Sam had his jacket thrown over his shoulder, and he shifted it in frustration.

"Sam, please," he said calmly. "I'm just doing my job, so if you wouldn't mind giving me five minutes here." Sam pursed his lips together and scowled.

"Dean, this is a very serious investigation. We don't have time for any of your blah blah blah blah. Blah blah blah blah. Blah blah blah." Dean shook his head and ignored him.

"How about we find somewhere else to talk?" the woman suggested hopefully.

"I don't know if that'd be the best idea," said Dean. He wasn't about to get himself in a compromising situation with another woman, especially not when Adiana was only a few tables away. Because he was good like that. Over his shoulder, Sam grew more infuriated.

"Blah blah blah blah blah blah. Blah!"

"_Right," muttered Sam sarcastically. "And that's how it really happened." Dean frowned and shrugged his shoulders. "I don't sound like that, Dean!" _

"_That's what you sound like to me," Dean retorted. _

"_Okay," Bobby broke the conversation up before it could get any worse. "What is going on with you two?" _

"_Nothing. Noth-" Sam sighed. "It's nothing." _

"_No, come on. You're bickering like an old married couple," Bobby noted, looking back and forth between the two of them. Dean opened the refrigerator. _

"_No, see married couples can get divorced. We're like, uh-" Dean had to think for a moment. "Siamese twins."_

"_It's conjoined twins," corrected Adiana and Sam at the same time. Dean pointed behind him._

"_See what I mean?" And he continued muttering something else that none of them could hear, except for the word 'back'. _

"_How about you tell the rest then?" Bobby suggested to Adiana. _

"_Okay, um…" She shifted into a sitting position in the center of the bed, deciding where to pick things back up. "Well, we thought it might be a haunting, so Dean and I went to check out the scene of the crime." _

The Crawford Hall janitor opened the professor's office and stuffed his ring of keys back into his pocket. Adiana and Dean followed behind him, dressed in dark blue electrician's suits. Adiana reached up and tugged on her ponytail to make sure that it was tight, wanting to appear as professional as possible.

"So, how long have you been working here?" she asked the janitor, making comfortable small talk that would, with any luck, keep him talking.

"I've been mopping this floor for six years. There you go." He stepped aside to let them into the room. It was large as far as professor's offices usually went and very tidy. Adiana pulled an EMF meter out of her pocket. It hummed steadily. No paranormal activity. The janitor eyed the device curiously. "What the heck's that for?" Good question.

"Just uh… for finding wires in the walls." The janitor nodded.

"Huh. Not sure why you're wiring up this office." He looked around the space. "Not gonna do the professor much good."

"Why's that?" Dean asked from behind the desk.

"He's dead," the janitor informed them candidly.

"Oh. What happened?"

"Went out that window." The janitor pointed helpfully to the large bay window behind the desk. "Right there." Adiana moved near the window and looked down. A direct fall onto steps. Ouch.

"Sad." She put the EMF back in her pocket. "You weren't working that night, were you?"

"I'm the one who found him." Now that caught her attention.

"Did you see it happen?"

"No. I just saw him come up here, and uh, well…" The janitor hesitated, unsure of what details he should be giving out. But Adiana wasn't going to let this one slide.

"What?"

"He wasn't alone," the janitor emphasized with a knowing look.

"Wowahewif?" Adiana looked over at Dean and rolled her eyes. He had a half empty bowl of caramels in his hand. The rest of the candy was stuffed into his mouth, his cheeks puffing out like a chipmunk.

"_Come on. I ate one, maybe two," Dean complained. _

"_You had a lot more than two," Adiana assured him. "Anyway-"_

"_So what, I'm too chubby for you now? Is that it?" _

"_No! That's not-" Adiana sighed, running her fingers through her hair. "You know what, you just tell it."_

"_Fine." _

"Who was he with?" Dean swallowed the caramel in his mouth and set the bowl back down on a side table.

"He was with a young lady. I told the cops about her but uh…" the janitor shrugged, "I guess they never found her."

"You said you saw a girl go in, but did you see her come out?" questioned Adiana, twirling a strand of hair around one long finger. The rest of her hair fell down in waves over her shoulders, covering some of the bare skin exposed by all the undone buttons at the top of her uniform. The janitor frowned thoughtfully.

"Now that you mention it, no." Adiana moved closer to the man, her hips swinging under the skin-tight fabric.

"You ever see her before?"

"Well, not her." Dean wasn't thrilled about the way the two were eying each other, so he interjected.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't want to cast aspersions on a dead guy." Adiana pouted, giving her head a small shake so that her hair shone in the light.

"Oh, but now you got me interested." She pounced, pressing her breasts into the janitor's chest and looking up at him with a sultry smile, as she traced a hand over his chest. "You can tell me. I'm very good at keeping secrets," she confided, her lips brushing against his ear. She leaned back slightly as the janitor put an arm around her waist. "Please, Mister.…?"

"Gabriel."

"Gabriel," she purred.

"_Okay, hold on." Adiana ran one hand up and down over her arm in agitation. "If I can't make you sound 'chubby' or whatever, you can't make me sound like a whore." _

"_I'm not," Dean retorted, not even glancing at her. "I'm just telling the story." _

"_Yeah but you're making stuff up."_

"_I'm n-"Dean tried to reply, but Adiana was too worked up. _

"_You were the one who told me to flirt with the janitor-" _

"_Adi-"_

"_-if we needed information. And that's what I did. I flirted a little." Her cheeks bloomed pink. "I didn't give him a lap dance." Dean raised an eyebrow as she stopped. _

"_Anything else?" Adiana sucked in a frustrated breath, pulling her knees up to her chest._

"_Just keep going." _

"Well, Mister Morality? He brought a lot of girls up here," Gabriel finally told them, or rather told Adiana. "Got more ass than a toilet seat." He slipped his hand over her backside and that was when Dean decided that he'd had enough. He grabbed Adiana's shoulder and tugged her backwards, sliding her from the janitor's hold.

"Thanks, we're good with this office." When they were almost out the door, he stopped. "Just one more thing. This building has only four floors, right?"

"Yeah," the janitor responded, crossing his arms. He seemed much less eager to help now that Dean had pulled his new favorite toy away.

"So no room six-six-nine?" he double-checked.

"'Course not."

"Thanks. You have a good night," Dean finished before nudging Adiana out through the office door.

"_So while they were interviewing the janitor, I was supposed to be doing research on the building," Sam took over. "But there was a… problem." _

Sam tapped his index finger on the keyboard of his laptop. Maybe he could try… this. He held down a few keys. Nothing. He looked up as Dean opened the door to their room, Adiana coming in behind him.

"So no EMF or room six-six-nine," Dean informed him, throwing his keys on the kitchen counter and undoing the first few buttons of his jumpsuit.

"But," persisted Adiana, "the janitor did describe a girl who went into the building, but never came out." Dean nodded.

"That was pretty weird. How'd the research go?" Dean ducked into the bathroom. "Any co-ed gank herself on campus?"

"Couldn't do any research." Sam took his laptop off of the table and set it in his lap. "When I opened my computer, it was frozen." Adiana walked around the table to get a look. Sam tilted it out of her way, but then showed it to her. Dean stuck his head out of the bathroom. "On uh, ." Dean opened his mouth, winced and then retreated back into the bathroom. It was practically a confession. Sam slammed the laptop screen shut. "Dean! Would you…just don't touch my stuff anymore, okay?" Dean stalked back out into the main space.

"Why don't you control your O.C.D.?"

"_But did you dig up anything about the building?" inquired Bobby, once again having to steer the conversation back to the case. "Or on the suicidal co-ed?"_

"_No," admitted Sam. "History's clean."_

"_Then it's not a haunting." _

"_Maybe not," Dean said slowly, tilting the beer bottle in his hand. "Tell you the truth, we're not really sure." He took a long gulp of the beer. Bobby raised his eyebrows. _

"_What do you mean, you're not sure?"_

"_Well…" Sam twisted his hands in his lap. "It's weird." _

"_What's weird?"_

"_This next part." Dean finally pulled up a chair from the table to sit down. "We uh, we didn't see it happen ourselves exactly, but it's pretty friggin' weird. Even for us." Bobby waited expectantly, while the trio decided exactly how to tell him what had happened. Eventually, Adiana spoke up. _

"_Remember Curtis? Well he kinda… sorta… got abducted by aliens." Bobby got up from his chair and paced around the room._

"_Aliens?" _

"_Yeah," Dean confirmed. Bobby scratched the hair beneath his baseball cap and pulled it tight again. _

"_Aliens?" _

"_Yeah." _

"_Look, even if they are real," Bobby leaned against the table, thinking over the situation, "they're sure as hell not coming to Earth and swiping people." _

"_Yeah that's what we thought," agreed Sam, getting up from the wall he'd been leaning against. "But we figured we'd at least talk to the guy." _

Curtis hunched over a table at the campus bar with four shot glasses lined up in front of him. His skin was clammy, and his eyes were glazed over with a thin glassy sheen. Adiana and Sam stood at the opposite side, trying to seem as friendly as possible. Dean sat in the seat in front of them, watching as Curtis took a shot, knocking it back in the hopes of forgetting.

"Hey, you ought to give those purple nurples a shot," Dean suggested. Curtis looked at him blankly, and Dean cleared his throat uncomfortably.

"So what happened, Curtis?" Sam prompted.

"You won't believe me." Curtis picked up another shot glass. "No one does."

"We might," Adiana smiled encouragingly. "Just give us a chance." Curtis chewed at the corner of his lip, debating. Finally he pointed at her, shaking his finger over the glass.

"I do not want this in the papers."

"Off the record then," Dean promised. Curtis took a few more minutes to decide that he might as well tell the story. He set his glass down, staring into it as he remembered.

"I, uh…" He ran a finger around the rim of the shot glass. "I blacked out and… I lost time, and when I woke up, I didn't know where I was." Sam rested on the corner of a chair, listening intently.

"Then, what?"

"They did tests on me. And uh…" Curtis reached out and downed another shot before folding his arms back into a defensive posture. "They uh… They probed me." Sam smiled and had to turn his face away, so that he didn't laugh. Adiana bit down on her bottom lip as her face twitched. Somehow Dean managed to keep his composure.

"They probed you?" Curtis dragged his gaze away from the bottom of his shot glass.

"Yeah, they probed me. Again and again." He moved his hand in a chopping motion for emphasis, his face growing steadily more distressed. "And again." He took a shot and shook it off. "And again and again and again and then one more time."

"Yikes."

"And that's not even the worst of it," Curtis lamented.

"How could it get any worse?" Dean smiled and chuckled to himself. "Some alien made you his bitch." Curtis glared at him, and the smile slid off Dean's face.

"They…" Curtis had to build up the courage to continue, so he took a deep breath. "They made me… slow dance!" Adiana snorted and had to hide her laughter behind a fit of coughing.

"I'm sorry. I'll be right back." She left the table, still making strangled coughing sounds. Dean smirked slightly, the corner of his mouth curving upwards. Sam just continued nodding, but his face was a confused blank.

"Well uh… thanks, Curtis," said Dean, standing up from the table. "Good… good luck with that." Curtis must have been expecting a similar reaction, because he just nodded resignedly and polished off his last shot.

"So, should we go check out the scene or something?" Sam suggested as they started walking over to the exit where Adiana was waiting, having gotten out all of her laughter. He still wasn't sure if this was supposed to be a joke or what.

"We'll go tomorrow morning. I've had enough weird for one day. I'm gonna hit the john before we go." Dean indicated the bathrooms back over his shoulder with his thumb.

"Okay. We'll wait at the car."

"_You guys are exaggerating again, huh?" noted Bobby._

"_No." Although Sam really wished they were. "No."_

"_Then this frat boy's just nuts." Dean shrugged a shoulder._

"_We're not so sure." _

The next morning, the trio stood in front of Crawford Hall with another fraternity student. On the grass in front of them was a large circular burn as if someone had taken gigantic blow torch to it. Or it had been singed by tractor beam from an alien space ship. According to Curtis, the latter was true, but they were here to find out what some of the other students thought.

"So you and this guy, Curtis …You were in the same house?" Sam clarified. The student shifted his backpack and nodded.

"Yeah."

"You heard what happened to him, right?" Dean asked.

"Yeah, he says it was aliens, but," the student held up his hands and scoffed, "you know, whatever." Sam leaned forward with concern, and emphasized every word as he spoke.

"Look man, I—I know this all has to be so hard."

"Um…" The student looked between the three of them, blinking rapidly. "Not so much."

"But I want you to know," Sam continued, unperturbed. "I'm here for you." The frat boy nodded awkwardly, silently mouthing 'okay'. "You brave little soldier." He made sure the student was looking him squarely in the eyes, as his own eyes glimmered with tears. "I acknowledge your pain. Come here." Sam grabbed the student in an overbearing hug, pulling the boy against his chest and holding on tight. Everyone else wore expressions of embarrassment, but Sam just continued his bear hug, breathing deeply to stop the tears. "You're too precious for this world."

"_I never said that!" Sam disrupted, glaring at his brother. _

"_You're always saying pansy stuff like that," Dean retorted. _

"_Oh, I'll keep telling it," Adiana offered. _

"Well um…" The student patted Sam on the back. "Yeah, uh thanks. Thanks for the hug." Dean shifted uneasily from foot to foot.

"Alright man, could you stop? You know emotions make me uncomfortable."

"Just let it go, Dean," Adiana muttered.

"Come on, we're men," Dean replied, puffing himself up and setting his hands on his hips in a striking pose. "And men don't talk about what they're feeling. We just keep it all inside. We are manly men."

"_I didn't-"_

"_Just let me tell it, Dean." _

"I'm okay," the frat boy assured Sam, and Sam let him go at last. "Really." Sam patted him on the shoulder a few times for good measure. "To tell you the truth, whatever happened to Curtis, he had it coming." Adiana rolled her eyes, giving up on Dean and turning back to the frat boy.

"What do you mean?"

"He's our pledge master. Put us through hell this semester and got off on it." The student smirked. "So now he knows how we feel."

"_And that was the best we got." Adiana drummed her fingers against the tabletop, her eyes continuing to follow Bobby as he paced back and forth. "So we decided to come back here and talk things over." _

"Still doesn't make a lick of sense." Dean threw open the motel room door. He strode across the room, peeling off his jacket and tossing it on a chair. Sam let Adiana in first and then shut the door behind them. "But, hey at least there's one connection." Adiana flopped down on the bed. She felt exhausted. Last night, she hadn't been able to get much sleep. Not after she woke up to an empty bed, only to see Dean sleeping over on the couch.

"What connection?" Her voice was muffled by the bed covers, but it was still discernible.

"The victims." Dean plopped down into a chair and put his feet up on the coffee table. "The professor and the frat guy." He snickered, settling deeper into the cushions. "They're both dicks." Sam picked his leather bag up off of his bed, flipping open the cover.

"That's a connection?"

"You got anything better to go on, I'd love to hear it." Sam turned his bag so that Dean could see it was empty.

"Where's my laptop?"

"I don't know." Adiana raised her head up off of the blankets. Sam was pulling covers and pillows off of his bed, searching for his laptop. She stretched her hands out under the covers of her bed to help him look. Dean, figuring this wasn't really an issue, brought his hands thoughtfully together. "Think about it. A philandering professor gets a dead girl. A pledge master gets hazed." Sam picked up the bag again.

"I left it in here."

"You obviously didn't," said Dean shortly, annoyed that Sam interrupted his train of thought. "I mean, these punishments… they're almost poetic." He waved his hand backward, staring up at a point in the ceiling. "Actually, it'd be more like a limerick, but still-"

"Okay, hilarious." Sam, frowning, approached Dean. "Ha ha. Where'd you hide it?"

"What, your computer?" Dean glanced over to where Adiana was hanging over the edge of mattress, running a hand underneath the bed. Sam stepped in the way so that Dean would focus on him.

"Yeah, where'd you hide it?"

"Why would I take your computer?" Dean raised his voice, and Sam matched it in volume.

"Because no one else could have. Adiana wouldn't take it. We keep the door locked." He spread his arms wide. "We never let any maids in." Dean smirked.

"Looks like you lost it, Poindexter." There was a short, uneasy silence. Adiana got up from her place on the bed. This wasn't going to be good. She didn't need to see Sam's face to know he was about to go on a tirade. It was obvious from the tension running down his body and the exasperated tilt of his head.

"Dude, you know something? I put up with a lot from you."

"What are you talking about?" Dean scoffed. "I'm a joy to be around."

"Yeah?" Sam pointed violently toward the bathroom, spitting every word like a bullet. "Your dirty socks in the sink. Your food in the fridge." Adiana took his arm and gently lowered it as she came around in front of Sam. She put a hand lightly on his chest.

"Don't do this. Sam, please?" she pleaded. That's all they needed, a huge fight right now. But, of course, Dean wasn't going to let this go either.

"What's wrong with my food?" Sam tried to take a step forward, but Adiana was blocking him.

"It's not food anymore, Dean! It's Darwinism!" he yelled.

"I like it," Dean muttered, staring down at the floor.

"Guys, come on-" Adiana soothed. However, Sam was already too upset.

"All I ask from you, the one little thing, is that you don't mess with my stuff!" Dean gritted his teeth until Sam was finished.

"You done?" Sam let out a frustrated burst of air and shook his head. He looked down at Adiana. She was still holding onto his arm, silently asking him to just walk away from this. After this case, she was taking them on another vacation or something because this couldn't go on. Sam softly put a hand on her shoulder in apology, but he couldn't resist just one more jab.

"You know, how would you feel if I screwed with the Impala?"

"Well it wouldn't be the only thing you screwed around with, would it?" Adiana peered over her shoulder. Dean was staring at them, his jaw tense. There was something dark and unreadable flashing through his eyes. What was that supposed to mean?


	31. Tall Tales Part II

**For my reviewers: bonniebeast, chase83, Dean's Racy Ally and Alyssa43 **

"_Did you take his computer?" Bobby asked Dean. He was pacing back and forth in front of the kitchen table, handing shoved in the pockets of his wrinkled jeans. Sam and Dean sat in chairs on opposite sides of the table with Adiana in the middle. She was turning a bottle of beer around and around in her hands. Dean rested the bottom of his bottle against the table._

"_Serves him right, but no." Sam gripped the table's edge and glared at him. _

"_Well I didn't lose it. 'Cause I don't lose things." _

"_Oh that's right-" Dean pointed to him and threw Bobby a glance, "-'cause he's Mister Perfect."_

"_Okay, okay," Bobby said calmly. "Why don't you just tell me what happened next?"_

"_There was one more victim," Adiana told him. Sam rubbed his forehead, trying to release some of the tension._

"_Right, right. Now, we didn't see this one ourselves either," added Sam. "We kind of put it together from the evidence. But this guy, he was a research scientist. Animal testing."_

"_Yeah, you know – a dick," Dean put in. "Which fits the pattern. The cops didn't put down a cause of death, because they didn't know what the cause of death was." Adiana set her beer down._

"_So we checked it out ourselves." _

Three flashlights shone in through the morgue window. Sam used a knife to break open the latch, which luckily made no noise. They all clambered in through the small space. Sam first, shoving the knife into his coat pocket and then Dean, tossing his flashlight to Sam so he could hold onto the edge of the window. Adiana slid in backwards, reaching out to Dean to keep herself steady, but he shied away and went over to find the body. She pressed her lips together, obviously hurt by this, so Sam stepped up to make sure she made it in all right.

"Hey." Dean had a plastic box in his hands. It was covered by a blue blanket with patches of blood stains. He set it on the examining table. "This ought to be quick." He peeled back the blanket to reveal the mangled remains of the research scientist. There was barely anything left, only a torn-up arm, part of a leg and some other unidentifiable parts. Sam put a fist to his mouth, as he nearly gagged. Adiana had to back off, feeling vomit rise in her throat. "Okay, that is just nasty."

"Uh, yeah," Sam said, pulling his hand away and shoving it in a pocket.

"Mutilated?"

"It looks like something chewed him up and spit him out," Adiana observed, sitting on another desk by the open window until the cool air relieved the threatening nausea.

"They identify him yet?" Sam nodded.

"Yeah. A research scientist at the college." He bent forward to get a better look at the remains. "Guess where his office was, by the way? Crawford Hall, same as the professor."

"That's right where the frat boy had his close encounter." Okay, so she still felt queasy, but Adiana took a deep breath and came back over to the examining table. Over time, maybe she'd become desensitized to this. That was the plan, anyway. But right now, her face just paled at the sight of all the torn-up flesh.

"Yeah…" Sam trailed off, as he noticed something in among the muscle. Something that didn't belong there. "Hey, grab me that thing, would you?" He pointed over to a magnifier stand at the opposite end of the table. Dean just stared at him and folded his arms. After an awkward moment, Adiana went to go get it and rolled it over to Sam. Seriously, what was it with Dean? He'd been acting so strange since last night. "Thanks." Sam clicked on the light and adjusted it so the glass was an inch away from the body.

"What is it?" Dean asked, as if nothing had happened.

"Looks like a…" Sam peered closer. "… belly scale?"

"A belly scale?" Dean scanned over the body parts. "From what?"

"Uh… an alligator?"

"An alligator that lives in the sewer?" Adiana checked. She had a hard time believing that one. Yeah, she'd heard the story plenty of times, but everyone knew that didn't actually happen, right?

"Well it's a classic urban legend," Sam explained anyway, straightening up. "A kid flushes a baby gator down the toilet, and it grows huge in the tunnels."

"But no one's ever really found one. They're not real," Dean maintained.

"Neither's alien abduction. But something chomped on this guy. Maybe we should get some help." Sam turned the light off, wheeling the magnifier back to the end of the table. "I'll call Bobby. Maybe he's run into something like this before."

"Oh I'm sure he has," said Dean sarcastically. "Just your typical haunted campus, alien abduction, alligator in the sewer gig. Yeah, it's simple."

"_We decided to search the sewer anyway, so we split up to cover as much ground as possible." Adiana's nose crinkled at the memory. She'd be happy if she never set foot in a sewer again. It was even worse smelling than the body parts. _

"_Did you find anything?" inquired Bobby. Dean spoke up, his voice tense. _

"_Yeah, I found something. Just not in the sewer." _

Dean pushed open the manhole cover, crawling out of the dank sewer. He'd been in there all night, so he took a deep breath of fresh air. Nothing in the sewers. No alligator, not that he'd really expected to find one. God, he needed a drink. The hotel was just around the corner, so that's where he went, passing the Impala on his way. Or rather he would have passed it, except that there was something very, very wrong. All four tires had been slashed.

"Son of a bitch!" He circled around his baby and there on the ground next to the passenger side door he found a silver money clip with the initials 'S.W.' engraved on one side. He picked it up. "Sam!" Goddamn it, now the rims were going to be bent. He stormed back to the hotel, seething. Screw with his car? Well, this was the last fucking straw. He'd had it. He was going to get back to the hotel room and he was laying down the law. He couldn't keep all this rage bottled up inside any longer. "First my girl, now my car." He punched the button for the elevator. "You are so dead, Sammy." And if Sam mentioned anything about his friggin' laptop, forget it. If he had that thing now, he'd smash it into a million little pieces. And he pictured smashing it over and over and over until he got back to the motel room. The door was unlocked and he burst through it. "You think this-" He froze just two steps inside.

Sam was sitting on the end of one of the beds with Adiana in his lap. Her long legs rested on either side of him, half hidden in the rumpled covers. Her hands gripped his arms below his shoulders, fingers bunching his shirt. She wasn't wearing a shirt of her own, just a red lace bra and jeans. Sam had his hands around her bare midriff, holding her steady. They looked over when the door banged open, stunned.

"I'm sorry," Dean said his voice even but deadly as a knife blade. "Am I interrupting?"

"What? No!" Adiana leapt out of Sam's lap as if she'd been electrocuted. "Dean, this isn't-"

"What it looks like?" he finished, eyes narrowing. "Tell me what it is then?"

"Dean." Sam stood up, his hands held up in front of him. "Look, she-"

"Shut up, Sam." Dean glared at his brother before focusing back on Adiana. "What?"

"I… I tripped. I just tripped." She moved forward a few steps, her eyes wide. "It – it was an accident." Dean smiled.

"Right. You just tripped right out of your shirt."

"No," she amended quickly. "No, I was getting dressed."

"Oh, so Sam was watching you get dressed. This just gets better and better." She gaped at him, her bottom lip trembling as she floundered. Not even a fucking decent excuse. He couldn't believe this.

"Dean, you don't really think-"

"-that you're fooling around with my brother? Yeah, actually, I do." Silence. Adiana jerked her head, as if to look over at Sam, but she must have thought better of it. Hurt. She seemed genuinely hurt. Man, she was a better actress than he gave her credit for. She walked forward slowly.

"I would never."

"Oh don't give me that crap," he spat, crossing his arms. "I know, okay? I know." Adiana stopped in front of him.

"You know? Because of this one little thing?" She searched his face, and then recognition dawned. "No, there's something else. That's why you've been acting different. Dean, what is it?"

"It doesn't matter," Dean said through clenched teeth. He took a deep breath and grinned. "You know what, it doesn't matter." He held out his hands towards the two of them. "If you two want to screw around, go for it. I'm done." He turned away from an astonished Adiana, intending to just head out the door, but he couldn't make it. He wasn't done with them. Words were writhing in his gut, tearing up his throat like a hellhound. He leaned against the open door with one hand. "And to think I actually tried monogamy, for this." He shook his head. "All the chicks I missed out on." Silence behind him, and then her wounded voice.

"I never me-"

"Never what?" he snapped, rounding on her. His voice grew with every word. "Never meant to hurt me?" He slammed the door shut. "Never lied to me? Never cheated on me with my brother? Never fucked him?"

"Dean! That's enough!" Sam intervened, putting himself protectively between his brother and Adiana. She was slumped against the large chair, tears about to spill over her flushed face. "Stop being an ass. She doesn't deserve this."

"Oh, I'm the ass?" Dean snorted.

"Yeah. You are." Dean nodded, fighting the urge to slam a fist into Sam's face. But it's your brother, Dean. No matter what. That's your brother. Was he? Was he really anymore? But instead, he took a swipe at the kitchen table. _Bang_! It overturned, bouncing against the wooden floor. He was breathing heavily, all the frustration with everything in his life compressed into rage pumping through his blood.

"Dean." Her voice was quiet but strong. Dean looked over, his hands still clenched into fists. Tears wet Adiana's cheeks. Her face was as pale as any ghost he'd ever seen and her arms crossed her stomach in a protective stance. She didn't look hurt or angry or confused. She looked scared. "I think-" her voice cracked "-I think you should go." Some of the rage died then, dulling down to the throbbing pain that had kept him awake at night. She was right. This time he really went for the door.

"_Okay, I've heard enough," Bobby stopped Dean. No one at the table could look at each other. Bobby surveyed them, shaking his head. "I'm surprised at you, especially you two." He pointed two fingers at Sam and Dean. "Sam. First off, Dean did not steal yer computer." Sam sat up straight in his chair, his mouth twisting in an indignant frown._

"_But I-" Bobby shushed him. _

"_Dean, Sam did not touch yer car." _

"_Yeah."_

"_And Adiana sure as hell ain't cheatin' on ya with yer brother." Dean caught Adiana's eyes and they quickly looked away from each other. "Now if you bothered to pull your heads out of your asses, it would all be pretty clear." If Bobby was expecting them to have an epiphany, it wasn't happening. _

"_What?" asked Dean._

"_What you're dealing with. You got a trickster on your hands," pronounced Bobby, like it was a completely obvious answer. Dean snapped his fingers._

"_That's what I thought." _

"_What?" Sam furrowed his brow. "No you didn't." _

"_I got to tell you, you guys were the biggest clue." Adiana cocked her head, confused._

"_What do you mean?" _

"_These things create chaos and mischief as easy as breathing, and it's got you so turned around and at each other's throats, ya can't even think straight." _

"_The laptop," Sam noted. _

"_The tires," said Dean, and realized something else. "And the chick in the parking lot." Bobby, Sam and Adiana all looked at him. He shifted under their collective gaze. "What?" _

"_Um, what chick?" questioned Adiana. Dean shrugged and scratched behind his ear, embarrassed. _

"_I saw Sam sucking face with this blonde chick in the college parking lot. I uh… I thought it was you." Adiana's shoulders tensed. _

"_You THOUGHT_ _it was me?" _

"_I um… I didn't actually see her face. She was behind the Impala, so I just saw her hair mostly," Dean admitted. Adiana scooted her chair back from the table and got up. She ran a hand over her forehead as she walked away. Dean tried to justify himself, but it even sounded lame to him as he spoke the words aloud. "I mean, I swear she could have been your… hair… twin…" _

"_Dean, that was some random college girl!" Sam explained with a sigh that clearly conveyed his disbelief in his brother's thick-headedness sometimes. "She came up to me, asked for directions to the bar and after I gave them to her, she kissed me. Then she just-" Sam made a sweeping motion with his hand "-walked off."_

"_Well, tricksters can create things out of thin air," Bobby suggested, as a means of justification. "Things as real as you and me. Make them vanish, just as quick."_

"_So what is it?" asked Dean, steering the conversation away from his mistake. "Spirit, demon, what?" _

"_More like-" Bobby bobbed his head back and forth, deciding, "-immortal demigods, really. There's Loki in Scandinavia. There's Anansi in West Africa. Tricksters target the high and the mighty. Knock them down a peg usually with a sense of humor – deadly pranks, things like that." _

"_What do they look like?" questioned Adiana. She had her hands on the big chair, leaning forward against it. She was trying to focus on the case, so she wouldn't explode. At that moment, she really hoped she got a chance to kill it. _

"_Lots of things, humans mostly." So it could be anyone then. But no, Dean had an idea of who it could be. _

"_And what human do we know who's been at ground zero this whole time?"_

* * *

Adiana waited outside the lecture room doors with Bobby and Sam. She had a wooden stake clenched in her hand. It was the one thing that Bobby knew of that could kill a trickster, or as this one liked to call himself, Gabriel. She and Dean had staged a fight in front of Crawford Hall that the trickster would surely see, arguing about whether or not the janitor was actually the right person. She pretended to leave, but really just went to find Sam and Bobby. After a long wait, they crept into the building. They listened to the conversation Dean was having with the trickster, needing to make sure their timing was right. She watched Bobby for the signal.

"Adiana was right," she heard Gabriel say, the smirk running through his tone. "You shouldn't have come alone."

"Well, I'll agree with you there," replied Dean. Bobby pointed at the doors with his stake, and they all entered the lecture hall. Dean was at the bottom of the stairs in front of the stage, which had been set with a large bed and disco ball. Two scantily-clad women sat on the edge of the bed, glaring up at them. The trickster was sitting in one of the front rows, and he looked back as the doors shut.

"The fight you guys had outside-" He turned back to Dean, "-that was a trick? Hmm…" He nodded, impressed. "Not bad. But you want to see a real trick?" His eyes gleamed with mischief as he snapped his fingers. There was a loud buzzing roar, and Adiana stepped aside just in time as a chainsaw blade sailed passed her. A man with the appearance of Leatherface swung the chainsaw again, and Sam ducked, punching the apparition in its stomach. Bobby came over to help, and the thing leapt at him. Adiana kicked it in the back, sending it pitching sideways. It landed on the stairs and jabbed its chainsaw at Sam. Adiana skidded down a few of the stairs, leaping over one of the rows.

She glanced over her shoulder just in time to see one of the women punch Dean hard in the stomach. She bit on her bottom lip. Should she stay with Sam and Bobby or go help Dean? One of the women picked Dean up and threw him into the seats with a crunching sound. Okay, help Dean it was. Nimbly, she jumped over the seats row by row as Gabriel clapped.

"Nice toss, ladies!" He got up out of his seat. "Dean… Dean, Dean, Dean." Almost there, but she wasn't going to make it. Not in time. The trickster shook his head, in mock disappointment. "I did not want to have to do this." Adiana caught Dean's eyes. She hurled her stake across the remaining rows, and he caught it before shoving it deep into the trickster's chest.

"Me neither." He ground the stake in and all the apparitions vanished. The trickster choked, making loud coughing sounds until Dean pulled the stake back out. Gabriel fell back against the seats, dead. Adiana jumped the remaining few rows to help Dean stand up straight. She was surprised he could stand at all after going into the seats like that. "You alright?"

"Yeah." Bones cracked in his back, and they both winced.

"You guys okay?" he called to Sam and Bobby in the back row.

"Yeah," Sam answered. "I guess."

"All I got to say…" Dean groaned and staggered a step. "He had style." Adiana took some of his weight as he hobbled up the stairs and out of Crawford Hall. She had half a mind to let him tough it out himself, but she still didn't want to see him in this much pain despite everything.

"Bobby, thanks a lot," said Sam when they were nearly to the Impala, gleaming in the moonlight with its new set of tires.

"Hey, save it!" Bobby exclaimed, pulling a back door open. "Let's just get the hell out of dodge before somebody finds that body." He got into the back seat as quickly as he could. Adiana left Dean by the driver-side door and got into the back as well.

"Look, Dean, um…" Sam paused, leaning on the Impala's roof. "I just want to say that I'm uh…" He searched for the right words. No, he knew the right words. He just wasn't used to saying them. Not to Dean. "Um…"

"Hey." Dean knew. "Me too." Bobby poked his head out of the car.

"You guys are breaking my heart. Could we please just leave?" The boys got back into the car, and they took off, leaving the college campus behind them. They dropped Bobby off at a parking lot about a fifteen-minute walk from the hotel after a quick exchange of goodbyes. By the time they got back to the hotel parking lot, Adiana couldn't wait to just get to bed, but Dean had other plans.

"Hey, Sammy, why don't you head up?" he suggested after he parked in a corner spot and turned off the Impala's engine. "We're gonna be a few minutes." Adiana dropped her hand from the door handle. Sam nodded in understanding.

"Sure." He got out of the car and shut the door, leaving them in silence. Adiana was tempted to speak first, but she wasn't going to. If Dean wanted to talk to her, then let him. She could wait. In the rear-view mirror, she watched his face. He was avoiding her gaze, staring at the car parked across the lot. His eyes darted back and forth like they always did when he was thinking. Two fingers drummed a mute beat on the steering wheel. The parking lot was empty, the only sounds the occasional blaring car horn from the street. Eventually she found that she couldn't wait anymore.

"You're bleeding." Dean finally met her eyes in the mirror at that.

"What?" Adiana crawled over into the front seat. She opened the glove box and pulled out a napkin from the pile she had stashed in there. His stubble pricked against her fingers as she cupped his chin, turning his head slightly. There was a long cut over his cheek bone where he had hit a seat and rivulets of blood had dripped down to his jaw line.

"Stay still." Adiana pressed a corner of the napkin against her tongue, wetting it. Gently, she used it to begin wiping the blood from Dean's face, starting at his jaw and working her way up. When the corner turned too pink, she just wet another part and continued. The cut itself wasn't as deep as she had thought it would be. She scrubbed a stubborn spot of drying blood. His jaw muscles worked beneath her hand.

"I'm sorry." She glanced into his eyes and then concentrated back on the cut.

"For what?"

"For…everything."

"And?"

"I…don't know what else to say…" Adiana sighed and leaned back, looking at Dean. He was trying to ask her forgiveness in the only way he knew how and he meant it. But just the words "I'm sorry", as hard as they were for him to say, weren't going to cut it. Not after all that had happened.

"I know you don't…" Adiana twisted the napkin in her hands, twining a corner around one finger. "So let me help." Her eyes flickered thoughtfully for a second before beginning. "I understand that the trickster was trying to turn us against each other and using our relationship to do that was a good move on his part. But it shouldn't have gone as far as it did. You should have just told me the truth – or what you thought was the truth – instead of avoiding the entire situation until you just…" She shrugged and sighed. "What was I supposed to think when you couldn't meet my eyes? When you flinched every time I touched you? When you didn't want to sleep in the same bed? If I had known, then I never—" She shivered as if suddenly cold and crossed her arms, staring at the floor. Air filled her lungs as she took a much needed deep breath before she could continue.

"And I know it's hard for you to talk about what you're feeling. You couldn't talk to your dad because you needed to show him that you were strong. You couldn't tell Sam because you were protecting him." She blinked and tilted her head up, meeting his rapt gaze. "And then there was no one else. And I knew that going into this relationship, and I thought it could work." She shook her head. "But it can't. You have to learn to talk to me because I can't go through this again. _We_ can't go through this again. And it kills me when I know that you're upset, but I can't ask why.

So right now, I need you to tell me why you didn't just come to me in the first place and if you're going to start sharing some things with me. Because if you can't do that, then…" God, it hurt her to say this. She didn't even want to think it. "I don't think it's a good idea for us to be together anymore." Dean hesitated once she had finished, whether waiting to make sure she was done or stalling for time Adiana couldn't tell, and then flashed a nervous half-smile.

"Don't I get some time to think about this?"

"No," said Adiana firmly. "Because you know the answer. You're just scared to tell me."

"I'm not-" Dean started to scoff, but stopped. "When I walked in on you and Sam earlier?" Yes, that one last loose end.

"I tripped just like I said," she explained. "I was the first one back, so I took a shower. I was getting dressed, and when I picked up the necklace you got me, it made me think about how you were acting so distant. Sam walked in on me crying, and you know him, he's out to help the world." She smiled softly. "So he talked to me. Tried to make me feel better. I took a step backwards and tripped right before you opened the door and Sam caught me. I didn't even know what I tripped over until later. It was a can of shaving cream that somehow got out of my bag and made its way halfway across the room. I think we have the trickster to thank for that." Dean nodded, thinking. Adiana waited patiently, praying he'd accept her explanation. She wanted more than anything for this to work, and she didn't know what else she could possibly say that would make him believe her.

"Well… I guess if I'm going to start talking about all this feelings stuff, there's no time like the present," he decided. "All right. Uh… As far as chicks go, I've only been serious with this one."

"Cassie, right?"

"I always forget you know more about me than I do," he chuckled.

"Not more." She smiled. "Just enough."

"Well then, you know that I told her about the job. And she freaked…" Dean hesitated, his gaze shifting away. Clearly he was thrown by having to share like this, and Adiana wanted to make the situation as easy for him as possible.

"Here." Adiana dropped the napkin on the seat and slid over until she was right next to him. She rested gently against him, propping her head up on his shoulder where her cheek brushed against the cool leather of his jacket. She took one of his hands, draping his arm around her and lacing her fingers through his. "Maybe it'll be a little easier if I'm not staring at you." She just listened to him breathe in and out until he started up again.

"I'm not too big on second chances. It's my experience that people don't change… so I swore off relationships. Guess I thought… I'd get hurt again. So when I saw you – well, the chick I thought was you with Sam, it just seemed like it was bound to happen. Like I was, I don't know… waiting for it to happen. Like I knew something had to go wrong. But when it did, I didn't know how to handle it so I just…" A long pause. Then, she felt him shift, tilting his head down so that his face was nearly next to hers. "Remember that night when I found you outside in that little nightgown and coat, and you said that you were afraid of losing me?"

"Mhm." A swirl of emotions flickered through her chest as Adiana recalled that night. "You said that you'd never let anything take me away from you."

"Yeah," he said quietly. "Yeah, well…" He wet his lips. "That night after you were sleeping, I was thinking about what you said. And hell, I know you believe that this is just a tv show where you come from, but… I don't know if I can believe that. I just know that you somehow got mixed up with some kind of creature or demon or something that dumped you with us and that thing is powerful enough that Yellow Eyes is after it. And something like that, if it decided to take you away… maybe I couldn't stop it. So what I'm trying to say is…" Dean cleared his throat and there was another silence as he formed his feelings about her into actual words. "…I'm afraid of losing you too." Adiana closed her eyes and just allowed herself to breathe, letting the smell of his cologne fill her senses. She honestly hadn't expected to get this much out of him all in one go, but it proved to her that he was going to be at least a bit more open with her. For the thousandth time, she found herself wondering what she had done to deserve him.

"Okay, well, that's all I got for one night. What do you think, Doctor Phil?" Dean pulled Adiana more tightly against him as she smiled despite herself. "Are we good?" She nodded.

"Yeah, we're good. And hey-" Adiana tilted her head to look up at him. "I'm sorry too."

"Babe-" He broke the sentence with a kiss, "-you've got nothing to be sorry for." Adiana didn't reply. Instead, she captured his lips, drowning memories of the past week in the taste of him.


	32. Gone, Babe, Gone

**For my reviewers: bonniebeast, Dean's Racy Ally, Alyssa43, chase83, Emily Rush and Jessfairy88**

Adiana rubbed the soap between her hands. It was pink and unnaturally thick, the kind of soap only found in fast food chains. It never quite made your skin feel clean enough. She used the back of one wrist to push the lever for hot water and ran her hands under the scalding spray. The bathroom door swung open behind her, and a woman's heels clacked on the tiled floor. Instead of passing by and heading into one of the empty stalls, the sound of the heels stopped right behind Adiana, who looked up into the mirror.

The woman appeared to be in her late thirties, lines beginning to crease her face. Her hair was onyx black and fell in carefully done curls right to her shoulders. Diamonds sparkled in her ears through the spirals of hair matching a necklace that peeked out of her coat. Her lips were pressed in a neutral position, painted with dark red lipstick like blood. Her eyes gleamed, as if on the verge of laughter. It was very unnerving, this face that was hovering right over Adiana's shoulder.

"Um, I'll be done with the sink in just a minute." The woman smiled pleasantly, not at all bothered. A hand rustled inside a coat pocket.

"That will be fine." Adiana lowered her eyes and scrubbed her hands more quickly so that she could be out of this woman's way. She turned off the water and yanked a few paper towels out of a dispenser next to the soap. Rubbing them vigorously against her skin, she began to turn back to the woman.

"All yo–" _Click_. Adiana froze, facing the woman who was still smiling—only it didn't seem so pleasant now. Ever so slowly, Adiana shifted her focus downwards to the gun in the woman's hand. It was a standard issue handgun but there was an attachment on the end that made it much longer. Silencer. Fear gripped her stomach, sending shock waves through her body. "Okay." She held her hands out, dropping the paper towels onto the floor. "I swear to you, I don't have any money on me. My wallet is in my jacket, back at the table."

"Well, it's lucky for you then, that I don't want your money." Adiana gaped, lips moving in soundless syllables before she found her voice.

"What do you want then?" The woman's smile widened. She blinked and her eyes turned as black as her hair. Shit.

The demon blinked again, eyes returning to normal.

"You."

* * *

**Day 1 **

"Chicks don't ever take this long, right?" Dean leaned back in his seat in an attempt to see the hallway that led back to the bathrooms, but it was blocked by a row of plastic plants between the booths. Adiana had said she was just going to wash her hands, but she'd been gone for… He checked his watch. Nearly fifteen minutes. He'd polished off his burger, and Sam was halfway through himself.

"Not when they're alone," confirmed Sam, dipping a fry into some ketchup. Dean slurped soda through a straw as he glanced over his shoulder again. This was a long trip for her. He had an uneasy feeling. That's all it was, a feeling, but he typically trusted his instincts. Saved his life more than a few times.

"Should I go check on her?" Sam threw him a skeptical look.

"What are you going to do, walk into the women's bathroom?" Dean frowned, fighting the urge to pick up one of Sam's fries and chuck it at him.

"No."

"I'm sure she's fine, Dean. Maybe there's a line or something."

"Yeah." But Dean kept throwing glances over his shoulder. The uneasy sensation grew, turning the food he'd just eaten into a stone in his stomach. As more time passed, Sam began to get concerned as well.

"Okay, half an hour is way too long," he admitted, looking back the same way Dean had, but his view wasn't any better.

"I'm gonna go check."

"I'll wait here." Dean got up from the table, leaving Sam behind with Adiana's jacket and uneaten food. As he rounded the corner, a disgruntled woman strode past him with her daughter in tow. The girl was hopping up and down, her face scrunched up.

"But mommy I gotta go," the girl whined.

"I know dear, but you heard the man. The bathroom is closed." The woman dragged her daughter towards the door. "Unbelievable," she muttered. Dean looked back at them and then to the hallway. A man stood in front of the women's bathroom door, shifting nervously from foot to foot. It was obvious he'd rather not be there. Dean approached him.

"Excuse me, is there a problem…" He checked the man's nametag. A manager. Not a good sign. "…Stephen?" Stephen crossed his arms over his chest.

"Bathroom's closed." Dean gave him a tight smile, eyes flicking up to the door and back to the sweating manager.

"I can see that, but you see my girl went back here a little while ago and she hasn't come back yet." If Stephen had been anxious before, now he was borderline panicking. He avoided Dean's gaze, staring intently at a spot on the floor as one of his hands brushed up and down the opposing arm.

"Well there's no one in there." Dean gritted his teeth and inhaled deeply through his nostrils with half a mind to just brush past this guy. Okay, Dean. Don't freak. You don't know what's going on. Just find out the details.

"So why's the bathroom closed, Steve?"

"Um…" Stephen swallowed hard. "I can't say."

"Why not?"

"I'm going to have to ask you to leave now, sir." Stephen tried to meet Dean's eyes, but couldn't hold them for even a few seconds. A phone went off in his pocket and he picked it up. "Hello… Yes, Mr. Ashborne. Of course, I just have to…." He glanced at Dean and covered the speaker on the phone. "You need to leave." But Dean stayed where he was and Stephen was called back to the phone. "Sorry sir. There's a man here… No, he's looking for his girlfriend… He doesn't know… Until they get here. Yes, Mr. Ashborne... Goodbye." Stephen shoved the phone back deeply into his pockets with an expression conveying that he wished very much that he hadn't come into work today.

"Until who get here?" They. Until they get here. They usually meant cops. If that was true, then he was running out of time. Stephen ran a hand against his sweaty forehead.

"I can't tell you that, sir. I'm going to need you to come with me." The beginning of a headache was forming at the base of Dean's skull, squeezing with hot tendril fingers.

"Okay, Stephen, either you let me into that bathroom or…" Dean pulled an FBI badge from his pocket and flashed it in front of Stephen's face. Stephen's eyes grew very round as he shrunk against the bathroom door. "… you're going to be explaining to your boss why you withheld information from a federal agent."

"I'm sorry. I didn't know," Stephen spluttered. "You never said." He shuffled out of Dean's way, still apologizing, but Dean brushed passed him and opened the bathroom door. Blood. The coppery smell of it assaulted his nose as soon as he stepped inside. There were drops of it on the floor and some bloody partial footprints leading to a small pool of blood that was congealing in front of the sink. Splashes of the liquid marked the white counter and were smeared over the paper towel dispenser. But, most unsettling were the droplets spattered across the mirror, surrounding a hole that had cracked the glass.

Dean should have been prepared for this and worse, but he wasn't. He pressed a fist against his mouth and leaned against the door frame. He closed his eyes and opened them again as if that could make the blots of red vanish, but they were still there. More than anything he wanted to tell himself that the blood could belong to anyone, anyone at all except Adiana, but he knew that it was hers. He pulled his cell out of his pants pocket and dialed her number, in vain hope that she might answer. It rang six times before the voicemail picked up.

"_Hi, you've reached Adiana Garrow. Please leave – Oh my God, Dean, stop. This is the fourth – Hey!" _

She'd recorded this a few weeks ago. Suddenly grabbed her phone off the night stand and said she needed to set one up, before she forgot again. But considering only he and Sam had her number, he didn't think it was that important. At least not at the moment.

"_Hey, this is Dean Winchester. Adiana can't come to the phone right now because she's in bed with a handsome–"_

"_You are impossible." Adiana's voice was distant. She had grabbed the phone, holding it away from her mouth. "…Don't even give me that look." But she was laughing. It suddenly cut off and was replaced by an automated voice._

"_Please leave your message after the tone." Beep. _

Dean had no idea what to say. Adiana might not even get to hear the message, and where would she be if she did? Would she still have her phone with her? He didn't know, but he felt now that he couldn't just hang up the phone.

"Hey, it's me. I uh…" Christ, what to say to her. "I hope you get this… Sammy and I are lookin' for you, okay? We won't stop until we find you, even if we have to tear this whole damn country apart. I promise. Just… just hang in there. I'm comin' for you…" His voice lost its smooth tone, dipping down into cold conviction. "And uh… if whoever did this is listening, you better enjoy breathing free air while you can, because when I find you, and I will find you… you're never going see the light of day again." He pressed the end call button, and the phone went back in his pocket. Shit, he should have checked on her after she'd been gone ten minutes. But she wasn't here, and someone would have noticed a person carrying a body out. So then she had to still be alive. At least she was. Or maybe that thing had taken her back to – He shook his head. Keep calm. Get all the facts. Move fast. Find her. Same as when Sammy went missing.

Avoiding the blood on the floor, Dean went over to the sink and examined the hole in the mirror. The bullet was wedged into a brick at least a solid inch. There was no way he could get it out, but he guessed from the size that it was from a 9mm. Common handgun, so that wasn't going to be any help. The shot would have been about shoulder height on Adiana, but he didn't think it had been a direct shot or the bullet hole would have been much shallower. Which meant the shooter didn't want her dead. He glanced down at the pool of blood by his feet to make sure he wasn't stepping in it. That tread looked like Adiana's boots as did the two partials, except…

Dean moved over and crouched by the door. The second partial was smeared in the center. He cocked his head. Almost looked like another shoe. Half of one, with a heel. All right, shooter was a woman then. He got back on his feet and reached for the door but froze with his hand stretched out in front of him. His fingers traced up the door handle and brushed the yellow powder gathered on the silver metal. He rubbed the powder and brought it to his nose. Son of a bitch. There was no mistaking that smell. It was sulfur.

Right outside the door, Sam was in the middle of an argument with Stephen. He was pointing at the door with exasperation when Dean threw it open. Stephen was nearly hit in the back of the head, and he scuttled out of the way at the noise.

"Dean, what's going on?" Sam asked.

"I'll explain later," Dean dismissed him. "You got cameras in here, Steve?" Stephen nodded vigorously.

"Three. One covering the registers—" He pointed back down the hallway at a camera hanging over the front entrance. "—and two in the parking lot. We had a robbery a few months back so they're pretty new."

"We're going to need to see those." Steve cast a sideways glance at Sam.

"Is he—"

"My partner," finished Dean impatiently. "Now we need to see the security tapes."

"Sure. Sure, they're in the back. Follow me." Stephen led Sam and Dean down the hallway and through the kitchen to a back office. Dean could feel Sam's questioning glance on him, but he wasn't about to start talking about demons in front of Stephen. He'd already scared the guy enough, and he needed to be able to get out before the cops showed. The back office was cramped and adding three screens had evidently made it even more so. With the three of them in the small space, there was hardly any room to move at all. Dean scanned the operating board for the security cameras. Standard issue. He knew how to work them.

"We'll take it from here Stephen. Thanks." Stephen opened and shut his mouth and left the room. With the extra space, Dean sat down and wheeled his chair in front of the monitors, rewinding the tape for the inside camera. As soon as the door shut, Sam put a hand on the back of the chair, summing up all his questions into one.

"So are you going to fill me in now?"

"Demon got Adiana." Two minutes. Five.

"A demon?"

"Yeah." Ten.

"But what…" Sam looked down at Adiana's jacket, draped over his arm. "…how?"

"I don't know, man. That's what I'm looking for." Fifteen.

"What was in the bathroom?"

"Sulfur for one thing." Twenty-four. Dean saw Adiana on the screen. He froze the picture and then backed it up more slowly. "And blood."

"Blood?"

"And a bullet."

"A bullet?"

"Is there an echo in here?"

"Sorry. I just… Adiana didn't have a gun on her, did she?" Dean stopped the screen when he saw Adiana just appearing in the frame and hit play.

"No." Sam was silent as they both watched the screen in front of them. Adiana walked along the right side of the camera and disappeared down the hallway. Four minutes later, a woman entered the restaurant, walking purposefully in the same direction. That had to be the demon. He fast- forwarded until Adiana came back into the picture. Her shoulders were hunched and her movements stiff. She didn't look around, but kept her gaze focused on the back wall. One hand was clamped on her arm just below her left shoulder. As she moved along, a streak of red dripped between her fingers. Bullet must have grazed her arm. Hell, he should have felt relieved that it was nothing worse, but he didn't. He just wanted to take a bullet dipped in holy water and see how that bitch felt when it was tearing through her skin. The demon followed a few steps behind Adiana, one hand in her pocket. Probably where she was keeping her gun. Dean froze the picture.

"Is that her?" Sam had silently moved his head down to get an even closer look. Dean's muscles tensed in surprise, not that they were able to get much tenser at this point.

"I think so." He memorized as much as he could of her appearance before popping the tape out of the machine. He handed it back to Sam who wrapped it in Adiana's jacket. Next, he turned to the screen with the front parking lot, backing it up until five minutes before the demon had entered the restaurant. People moved in and out until, on cue, the demon stepped out of a mini-van parked just to the right of the handicapped spaces in front of the restaurant. A demon in a mini-van. Any other time, it would have been hilarious, but he wasn't about to start chuckling. "They blacked out the damn license plates."

"Yeah, I noticed. Dean, do you think—" Sam cut off as Dean waved a hand to stop him.

"Later." He fast forwarded until the demon came back into the picture with Adiana shuffling in front. Someone else inside the mini-van opened the door, and Adiana climbed inside. The demon got into the passengers' side, and the car peeled out of the parking lot at top speed. So there were at least three demons involved in this. Dean popped out the tape for the parking lot front and back as well. Sirens sounded in the distance. Cavalry had finally arrived, meaning it was time for them to pull the old Houdini act. Sam took the tapes from him, hiding them along with the other one. They left the office, making their way back through the kitchen. Stephen was waiting uneasily by the front entrance.

"Wh – Where are you going?" he questioned as Dean opened the door.

"I'm gonna have a talk with our boys in blue," Dean explained coolly. "Give them the layout before they get in here."

"Oh… um… right." They left Stephen staring out the window after them. Guess parking around the back of building hadn't been such a bad move after all. They got into the Impala, and Dean pulled out of the parking lot. The first police car sailed right by them, lights flashing bright blue and red. The wailing siren pierced his ears, fading only a little before the next car shot past.

"Dean, what if-"

"Do you have your laptop?" Dean interrupted. Sam gave him a disgruntled look, but nodded.

"Yeah."

"Get it out and check the GPS in Adiana's phone."

"It won't do any good." Dean's eyes flickered between Sam and the road.

"What d'ya mean?"

"Her cell's in her jacket. It went off earlier when you called. Do you-"

"Call Ash then. Maybe he's got something." Sam huffed, but too worried to start an argument right at that moment, he took out his own phone. While Sam waited for someone at the Roadhouse to pick up, Dean ran through options for their next move. Stay and search through this town. There wasn't much chance that the demons would have stayed. Also, it wouldn't be the best idea to hang around with so many cops on red alert. He'd be no good to Adiana in prison. He had neither the patience nor time to pull off a Great Escape. They'd have to move to the next town over at least, and then scope out the area later, just in case. Set up base somewhere then. The demons had almost half an hour jump on them and, without knowing which way they went, he couldn't be sure of following them. Better to stay put, then go in the wrong direction as much as he was burning to actually do something. Since the plates had been blacked out, they'd just have to look into stolen cars. And missing person's reports for the woman. Those blacked out plates, though… this had been planned. Carefully. Shit, he should have kept a closer eye on her. He should have – He tightened and flexed his fingers against the steering wheel. Don't go down that road. Focus. Once they got to a motel, he'd call Bobby. Bobby would spread the word. And Ash might get something. In the meantime, Sam could start researching and he'd come back and look for the car. He'd go crazy if he just had to sit in a room.

"Nothing." Sam's voice broke into his consciousness. "Ash didn't get any unusual activity. He said he'd keep checking though."

"All right."

"Dean, do you think—" Dean tensed, his shoulders hunching.

"No."

"You didn't even let me finish."

"I don't need to. The answer is no." Dean knew exactly was Sam was thinking. He knew it the moment Sam had first tried to bring it up. Hell, he knew the moment he'd seen all that blood, because that same thought had occurred to him too. And deep down, it terrified him. Sam shoved his phone deep in his jacket pocket, shifting in his seat to stare at his brother in exasperation.

"But—"

"She's not Ava!" Dean snapped. "This isn't the same thing, Sam. Not even close."

"Not even close? Dean, kidnapped by demons. Blood all over the place. Sulfur," Sam ticked off on his fingers. "How is that not even close?"

"This is different. Ava was—"

"Is," Sam corrected. "She's not dead. We don't know that."

"Fine. Ava is one of…" Dean gestured toward him with a flick of his hand. "You know." Sam deflated back against the seat, turning his eyes to the floor.

"You mean a freak. Like me."

"Dammit, Sam. That's not what I meant. Look, she doesn't have any powers."

"That we know of." The Impala screeched to a halt at a traffic light, and Dean whipped his head around to look at Sam.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"I don't know. Look, I'm just trying to consider the possibilities. Yellow Eyes was interested in her enough that he showed up a few times. She's seen more of him than either of us."

"Because Yellow Eyes wants whatever the hell creature Adiana got mixed up with, that's why," said Dean slowly. Psychic powers. No way. There was no way.

Sam shrugged. "I mean, maybe."

Dean narrowed his eyes. "Maybe?"

"There's got to be a reason for that creature she's got attached to her, right? Like I said, I just think we have to look into every possibility. I want to find her just as much as you, Dean." Sam put a hand on his shoulder. Dean very nearly shrugged it off. Sam must have seen the impulse in his eyes, because he flinched and pulled back. "I do. But you can't overlook this just because you're afraid we won't find her either." A car horn blasted behind them. The light had turned green. Dean made a short growling sound and then the Impala pushed forward. They sat in rigid silence, until Dean broke it.

"We treat this as a separate case." Sam sighed, but Dean's mind was made up. "She's my responsibility, and I say this is a separate case. Okay?" Dean looked over. Sam was turned toward the window, his partial reflection caught in the glass. "Okay?" Sam faced him, and Dean wished he hadn't. There was that broken puppy dog look in his eyes, laced with hurt and fear and pity.

"Okay."

* * *

**Day 2**

Dean slammed the motel door closed with the back of his foot. He had a bag of take-out Chinese in one hand and coffees in the other. He'd been out since before daybreak searching for the mini-van, but as he predicted. it was nowhere to be found. Sam had been at his computer since they'd stepped foot in the room the previous afternoon. Dean set down a coffee on the table in front of him.

"Thanks," muttered Sam, rubbing a hand across his tired eyes. Dean was beginning to feel worn down as well. Not badly, not yet. But he wouldn't have been able to sleep even if he wanted to. There lack of a soft, warm body beneath the sheets only reminded him of what he was missing. "Anything on the van?" Sam shut his laptop screen to give his eyes a break. Dean set the food down, shaking his head.

"Nothing."

"Yeah me neither. You'd think people could find better cars to steal than mini-vans." Sam took a long drink of the coffee. "All the in-state ones check out though. Started doing national. Took a break and looked at missing persons." Dean sat down in a chair next to him.

"And?"

"Well, it's a lot to go through. We don't have a name and well, most of the people who go missing are women… That's assuming she's been reported missing…" Sam turned the coffee cup in his hands. Dean sighed and looked up at the wall in front of them. They'd put up a map with a tack right where the restaurant had been, along with one for each sighting of Yellow Eyes. There were also blown-up pictures of the car and the demon, and in the corner the picture of Adiana he'd used for all her IDs. As he stared at it, his foot tapped against the ground. He hated just sitting here. He couldn't do it. Not even for a second.

"Here." Dean pushed the bag of food towards Sam. "Eat something." Sam shook his head.

"Thanks, but I'm not hungry. You go ahead." Dean pulled it back towards him and leaned into the bag, the smell of grease wafting up from the bag.

"You know, I'm not really hungry either. Just—" His phone began to vibrate vigorously in his jacket pocket, mute guitar sounds blaring through the fabric. He quickly took it out and checked the caller before answering. "Hey, Bobby."

"_Hey, Dean." _Sam made a rapid series of gestures, pointing at the phone and then himself and back again.

"I'm gonna put you on speaker." Dean set the phone down on the table and pressed a few buttons. "All right, tell me you got something, Bobby."

"_Well, I put the word out. No one's gotten back to me yet, but they will. Lot of lonely guys willing to help out a pretty, young woman." _Dean wasn't sure if that should make him feel better or not. Sam crinkled his nose, equally concerned, but didn't voice it. They needed all the help they could get.

"What about that tracking spell?"

"_Did some research, tried to find a spell that was, you know… as un-black magic as we could get. I did find this one old Celtic ritual..."_ A hesitant pause.

"But?" asked Sam.

"_Any demons around her would more than likely sense it. In which case…"_

"They'd move," Dean finished, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning back in his chair.

"_Right or…" _Or something worse. Maybe not death, but demons weren't generally interested in that, anyway. They preferred torture. Missing In Action kind of torture. The kind that made your skin crawl. Dean's fingers curled tighter. He couldn't do that to her.

"_We could still give it a chance. Up to you too." _Dean didn't need to see Sam shaking his head to know his answer.

"Can't take that chance."

"_That's what I thought." _He sighed._ "I'll do some more digging." _

"Okay. Call us if you get anything." Dean picked up his phone. "Thanks Bobby."

* * *

**Day 3**

Dean jerked awake. He was sitting on one of the beds, his legs outstretched, his back resting against a propped-up pillow on the wooden backboard. Adiana's laptop had gone to sleep in his lap. The power key went from orange to green as he pressed it, and he blinked, focusing on the time. He'd been out for around two hours. It was a nightmare that had woken him up. He could still hear Adiana screaming. Papers rustled and he looked over at the source of the sound.

Sam was standing in front of the case wall, only there was so much more on it now. And a lot of it looked familiar. Dean swung his legs over the side of the bed and slipped the laptop off his lap. He rubbed his eyes, trying to make himself feel more awake as he sidled over. Sam had put up everything from Ava's case. They'd had so much more for that case. It took up more than two-thirds of the wall, and yet they still hadn't found her. One of her missing posters was tacked up right beside Adiana's picture. He stepped up taking the bottom of the poster in one hand, lifting it up. He could feel Sam hovering beside him, waiting. If this was about Yellow Eyes, why wasn't he having a psychic vision or something? Figured. It never freaking came when you needed it. He looked at the poster, then over at Adiana's picture. They were both smiling. They were both gone. Adiana wasn't going to be Ava. He wouldn't let that happen. But maybe they should compare the cases. These past two days already felt like a week. And if Yellow Eyes wanted both of them, even for different reasons, they could conceivably be in the same place. He dropped the poster back down and turned away from the wall.

* * *

**Day 4**

The faces on the screen were beginning to blur together. Dean shut the laptop, and rested his face in his hands. Sam was across the table, his head dropping an inch from the screen. He'd gotten some sleep. Not much, though. Neither of them had been able to sleep for more than a few hours. Dean scooted his chair back from the table and started pacing in front of the case wall. There had to be something they were missing. Some clue, somewhere. No one was perfect, especially not demons. But, what? What? Think, Dean. But it was so hard with weariness and anxiety clouding his brain. Back to basic facts, then. Adiana was taken by demons. She'd been gone almost four days. Yellow Eyes probably had something to do with it. He'd appear to her in her dreams, ask her questions. Wanted her because of… what had Meg said? Something about getting a hold of the creature Adiana had seen. The woman. Wait, Dean… wait. Something about this is important. Something about this idea fits. Dean frowned, mulling it over. He couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"Hey, Sammy." Sammy took a deep breath and straightened up from his laptop.

"Yeah. What…" He yawned. "What, Dean?"

"That woman that Adiana saw, when she was dreaming. Did she ever talk to you about her?"

"Uh huh." Sam partially shut the laptop cover. "A little, why?" Dean rapped his knuckles against the counter top. There was a thought just out of reach, like the last words to a song he couldn't remember.

"I don't know, just… something…" Dean went over to his duffel bag and began to dig around inside it. From the bottom, he pulled out an old buttoned-up shirt. He unfolded it and pulled a folder from inside. The shirt went back in his bag, but the folder he kept. There was a thick stack of sheets between the covers.

"What's that?" questioned Sam as Dean perched on the end of a bed.

"It's just some of the stuff she said. I kept track. Did research. Got some creatures, sort of. Nothing really fits." He flipped through a couple pages copied from textbooks or printed from online articles. "I just didn't show it to Adiana in case… What's so funny?" Sam was grinning.

"Nothing, really, just…" He tapped the corner of his laptop. "I've got the same thing on my laptop. She's probably got the same thing, and we think we're protecting each other by keeping it a secret." He laughed, but then it fell short. "Sorry, I'm just… I'm tired. And I've been looking at this screen too long." But Dean was no longer listening. He'd figured out why the woman was important, and now that he was staring at this paper, he didn't know how he hadn't thought of this earlier. The folder was tossed aside as he got up and went over to the wall, Sam's eyes following him. "What…"

"Do you remember where we found Adiana?" Dean held up the piece of paper against the large map on Adiana's section of the wall.

"Um… on a porch…" Sam got up to see and circled closer. "In a town—" The piece of paper was a portion of a map. Dean pressed it up against the larger one. "—about one hundred miles from here."

"Exactly." Dean began yanking papers off of the wall. "We gotta go back."


	33. There Will Be Blood

**Dedicated to my amazing reviewers: chase83, Dean's Racy Ally, bonniebeast, ephemeral violet, Emily Rush, Jessfairy88, Abbywriter, Alyssa43.**

"Four Huntington Road should be coming up on the left," Sam said, folding up the map of Independence, Kansas in his hands into a neat rectangle. Dean nodded. He wasn't sure that this was going to be the right place, but he was hoping. Otherwise, it was back to square one and he couldn't run much longer without sleep. He already had a damn headache that had been pummeling the inside of his head for the past day.

They drove past the house. There was no min-van in the driveway, but the house did have a garage. Curtains were drawn across the front windows, dimming the light behind them. Well, someone was home. The man at the gas station had said that the house had been bought over a month ago, but it wasn't until four days previous that he'd seen any lights. It was the best and really only lead that they had got. Dean continued to drive a few houses down before pulling the Impala up to the curb and cutting the engine. They sat in silence for a few moments.

"You know, Yellow Eyes could be in there," Dean said, looking over at Sam.

"Yeah. I know."

"Maybe you should-"

"Dean, I'm coming with you." Sam turned toward Dean, cracking a half-smile. "Besides, Yellow Eyes is more likely to hurt you than me." Dean grinned. Yeah, he was worried as hell, but he couldn't help but feel proud of his little brother.

"All right. Let's go."

Dean opened the door to the Impala and walked around to the trunk. There wasn't much they had that could damage demons. He found himself wishing more than ever that they had the Colt back, but Yellow Eyes had it. Maybe if they got really damn lucky, it would be in the house. Sam already had the exorcism ritual written down and tucked into a pocket in his jeans. Dean took a pistol and tucked it into the back of his pants, not that it would do much, except slow the demons down for a second, and they both lugged a jug of holy water.

Moving through patches of moonlight and shadow, they crept around the back of the nearest house. Lights out. Everyone asleep and no dogs barking. They slipped through backyards making no more noise than the chirping crickets, until they were behind house number four. Although the downstairs lights were on, the ones upstairs were not. And it looked like getting to the second floor wasn't going to be a problem.

"Yahtzee," Dean muttered. The house had a screened-in back porch with a nice, sturdy roof that came almost right up to two windows on the second floor. Sam climbed up first since he had the knife to break in. He stepped up on the small outer edge of the windowsill where the screens had been put in, twisting his feet to balance, while holding onto the corner of the porch. The wood creaked, but held steady. Quickly, he reached up and grabbed onto the roof, hoisting himself up and crawling forward on his stomach, until he was safely on top of the porch. Dean tossed up the containers of holy water before clambering up himself.

"We got a problem," Sam murmured, peering through one of the windows.

"What?" Dean whispered. Sam pointed to the window latch. Instead of a usual crescent sash lock, there was a newly-installed key lock. "Son of a bitch. Both of them?"

"Yup. Guess they weren't taking any chances." So now what? The plan had been to ninja their way into the house, hopefully find Adiana and then hightail it out of here. It was so damn quiet—they couldn't risk breaking the window in.

Suddenly, from behind the windows came the sound of a woman screaming in pain. It was cut off after mere seconds, but it was all that Dean needed to hear. No more careful planning. He just reacted. He took one of the plastic water jugs and slammed it against the window. The pane didn't budge. Again, he hit the window. Thin cracks spread across the glass, and the jug began leaking water. He swung the jug back a final time and the window shattered. Holy water poured everywhere, glimmering on the splintered glass. He tossed the useless bottle aside and slid in backwards through the window, shards of glass slicing through his clothes and pricking his skin. Sam came through the window behind him, twisting off the cap of his holy water container. No use being quiet now. Their grand entrance had been announced. They shot out of the room. Look left. Right. Staircase. Down they went and rounded the corner into the living room.

Adiana was hunched over in a wooden chair, strands of greasy hair covering her face. Her arms and legs were in metal cuff-like restraints. Blood spotted the floor around her, dripping from the edge of the chair. Someone's legs stuck out from behind her, a corpse fallen to the floor. Two men stood a few feet away. They spun around when Sam and Dean entered the room. Their faces were masks of confusion and fear. One collective glance back at Adiana and then their heads jerked back, smoke pouring out of their mouths and vanishing through the ceiling. The bodies dropped to the floor with loud thuds. Years of hunting instincts should have told him better, but Dean rushed forward anyway.

"Adiana." He crouched down in front of Adiana, blood wetting his boots. Her shirt had been ripped open, blood pouring from a gaping wound above her left breast. "We're gonna get you outta here." Sam had come up behind him, and he glanced over to see whom the corpse belonged to. The woman from the security tape with a long, bloody knife in her hand. His eyes widened and he grabbed the collar of Dean's jacket, yanking him backwards. Sam swung the jug of holy water in his free hand so it splashed over Adiana. Steam rose from her skin, and the demon screeched. Her hands loosened on the armrest, and she took several deep, labored breaths.

"Well, well. The Winchester boys." Her voice was unsettling. It sounded like a flickering radio station, partly Adiana's and partly a voice that was much older, deeper. Demonic. "You sure have good timing, a few more hours and this pretty little thing would have been far, far away." The demon looked up, and the Winchesters got a good look at what had happened to Adiana.

She had a dark yellow and purple bruise on her right cheek, extending up to her ear. There was also bruising on her arm below one shoulder, surrounding a long purple scab where she'd been shot. The wound on her chest was still bleeding profusely. Blood streamed down to her stomach, soaking into her jeans. It was the anti-possession tattoo that they'd cut away. But most striking were her eyes. Thin black smoke swirled across their surface, constantly twisting and turning. It appeared almost as if someone had given her clear lenses, trapping the smoke in such a way that her true eye color could still be seen. Dean stared at her. That voice and those eyes. This wasn't like any demon possession he'd ever seen.

"What the hell did you do to her, you bitch?" The demon smiled.

"Such language. I think someone needs a timeout." The Winchesters felt a push, and Dean winced, expecting to be thrown against a wall. But he wasn't. Neither of them were. They just stumbled back a few steps. The demon frowned, surprised. Another push with the same result.

"Looks like your demon mojo isn't working," Dean noted with a smirk. He looked to his brother. "Sam?" Sam pulled the exorcism incantation out of his pocket. The demon kept trying to force them away.

"Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus omnis satanic potestas…" The demon gave up on trying to send them across the room and began wriggling in her seat. She tried to yank her hands out of the restraints, skin peeling back as she attempted to force her hands through a much too small of a space. "…omnis incursion infernalis adversarii, omnis legio, omnis congregation et secta diabolica." Dean grabbed the demon's arms and held them in place as firmly as he could without breaking the bones. He looked into her eyes, Adiana's eyes trapped behind the smoky demon haze. "Ergo draco maledicte et omnis legio diabolica adjuramus te."  
"When you get back to Hell, you better stay there," Dean growled. "Because if I ever come across you again, you're in for a whole new world of pain." The demon's head jerked left and right, her body trembling.

"…omnis fallaciae, hostis humanae salutis. Humiliare sub potenti manu dei…" She leaned forward, violently retching. Her limbs seized against the chair in spasms that rocked her whole body. Veins stood out against her bare skin from the strain. It could have just been Adiana in the middle of a violent seizure. But this wasn't hurting her, Dean had to remind himself. It was the demon who was in pain, so he forced himself to keep watching. "… insidiis diabolic, libera nos, Domine. Exorcizamus te, omnis…" Something warm splattered Dean's hands. More blood.

"Stop!" The demon rasped between forceful retches. "You're hurting her!" Sam faltered in his speech. "It's not going right, you idiots." The demon lifted her head. Blackish, red blood streamed from her nose and leaked from the corner of her mouth. Dean internally cringed. Adiana couldn't stand to lose much more blood. Shit, couldn't Sam read any faster?

"Keep going," said Dean in a strained voice.

"…im-immundus spiritus…" The demon screamed as her body stiffened, head thrown back with such a force that the floorboards shifted. The paper shook in Sam's hands, and he took a deep breath. "…omnis-"

"She'll die!" the demon howled. That stopped Sam. "You're killing her!"

"Don't listen," Dean warned. "Keep going." But Sam was frozen, staring at the demon.

"She can feel it same as I can," the demon said quickly, trying to get out as much as possible, before he started up again. "It's not supposed to affect this body this much, you know that. She's in pain."

"Sam."

"And that's making her heart pump faster, making her bleed faster." The demon leaned over the side of the chair and spat out a mouthful of blood for emphasis. She straightened up, licking her lips. "She'll bleed out soon."

"Sammy!"

"I can barely feel her. This body's almost empty." She cocked her head. "Another minute and it'll just be me in here."

"Goddammit, Sam!" Dean let go of the demon's arms and whirled around. "We don't have time for this!" He thrust out a hand towards Sam, trying to grab the paper, but Sam wrenched it away. Dean gritted his teeth and turned over an open palm. "Just give me the paper, and I'll finish this myself." Sam shook his head.

"What if she's telling the truth, Dean?" Dean made another grab for the paper, but Sam held it back out of reach.

"She's lying, Sam. You should know that."

"But sometimes demons tell the truth, if it'll help them get what they want. Didn't you say that?" Dean narrowed his eyes. Yeah, he'd said that, but not to Sam and with good reason. "If she is and if Adiana died, could you live with yourself?" Sam crumpled the paper back in his pocket. "Because I couldn't." Dean needed time to think, but the clock was ticking. Instinct said to keep going and send the demon on a first-class ticket straight to Hell. Or was it instinct? Maybe it was just revenge burning in his veins. That could wait, he decided. Sam was right about one thing, at least. If she died, he'd never forgive himself.

"Fine. Let's get her to the car." He turned back to the demon who was giving him a leering grin. Anyone else and he would have smacked the smile right off her smug face. "Where are the keys?"

"You forgot the magic word," the demon purred. Dean threw her a scathing look.

"Where are the keys, bitch?" The demon raised an eyebrow.

"Touchy." She nodded to the body next to her. "Front pocket. It's the small silver one." Dean checked the front pocket of the woman's jeans and pulled out a ring with three keys. He took the smallest key between his thumb and forefinger.

"Don't try anything cute."

"Wouldn't dream of it." Sam stepped up beside the demon, the open jug of holy water still in his hand in case she decided to make a move. Dean spotted a dirty cloth gag on a small table next to the chair. Anger flared up, but Dean quelled it. He'd get his chance. Somehow. He picked it up, stepping over the woman's body as he circled behind the chair. The demon moved her head as he wrapped it around. "What – umrf." He'd taken the chance of her open mouth to pull it in and tie a tight knot.

"Can't have you screaming to the neighbors." Dean unlocked her legs first, tensing in case the demon decided to make a move, but she stayed absolutely still. He unlocked one arm. Sam held onto her shoulder before Dean swung the metal clamp wide, revealing dark bruises swelling up her wrist and arm. Some of them had begun to yellow around the edges. Old marks. He unlocked the last cuff, and quickly grabbed her arm. The demon didn't run, and when he tugged on her arm, she stood.

They walked to the front door, having to undo three deadbolts before they could head out into the night. She didn't struggle, but that only made Dean uneasy. There was something wrong with all of this and he couldn't explain it. The only person who might be able to help was Bobby, so that's where they'd head after he patched Adiana up. Adiana's body? No, Adiana. She was still in there somewhere. She had to be.

"Keep her in back," Dean instructed when they got back to the Impala. He unlocked the door, and then went around to the trunk. From inside, he took out some of the medical supplies along with a button-down shirt from Adiana's bag. When he got into the backseat, Sam was holding the demon with her hands behind her back. The jug of holy water was resting between his feet. It was crowded with all of them in one seat, but he'd have to make it work. "You got her?" Sam tightened his grip.

"Yeah." Dean unscrewed the cap off a bottle of rubbing alcohol. He poured it over the wound. The demon made a strangled sound behind the gag and shifted in Sam's hold. The red liquid splashed over her already bloodstained chest and dripped onto the seat, sinking into the leather. For once, Dean didn't even care. Pink patches of muscle glinted against slivers of bone until more blood welled up in a seemingly never-ending stream.

Dean tore off a long strip of gauze and folded it several times. Blood immediately soaked into the fabric as he held it over her chest. With his other hand, he took out medical tape. He held the end of the tape between his teeth and pulled until he had a large enough piece. Then, he ripped a piece off and pressed it along one side of the gauze, sticking it to her skin. He repeated this three more times until the patch of gauze was held in place. Now, it needed pressure.

"Hold her arms up." The demon rolled her eyes, mumbling something from behind the gag. Her hands twitched, obviously intending to move her own arms, but Sam didn't trust her that much. He held her wrists in one large hand, while he tugged off her shirt which had fallen most of the way down her arms already, leaving her in just a strapless bra. He then held her arms up just above her elbows. Dean tapped the end of the gauze right next to her wound and then wrapped the roll over her chest, under her arms and then around her back a few times, finally ripping it and using one last piece of tape. Not quite as good as Dr. Sexy would have done, but it should stop the bleeding, at least. If they had any luck. He put her hand through one of the armholes of the clean shirt and, with Sam's help, managed to get her into it.

"You want me to drive?" Sam offered. Dean nodded.

"Yeah." Dean pulled the keys out of his pocket. "Just get me that holy water." They exchanged the keys and holy water, which Dean put on the seat right beside him.

"We going to…" Sam mouthed the word 'Bobby' and nodded at the demon to indicate that he didn't want to say the location out loud. Dean nodded. He took one of the demon's arms, while Sam got out of the back and into the driver's seat. As the Impala rumbled to life, he tried not to think about Adiana. Everything that could have happened over these past few days. How long she'd been stuck in that chair, waiting for them to come. What she must have felt with that knife sinking into her skin. The demon made a strangled cry, and Dean loosened his vice-like grip that had been steadily tightening. Now she was trapped in her own head, under the control of the same demon that'd kept her bound and gagged to a chair. And all because… Dean waited until they were on the main road to undo the gag.

"What'd you need Adiana for?" The demon ran her tongue across her teeth, making smacking noises while trying to get the taste of the fabric out of her mouth. Eventually, she looked up at him with an irritatingly smug expression.

"Oh, just… you know… stuff." Dean glared, considering whether dumping holy water all over this demon was going to make her talk. "Might want to stop looking at me like you're contemplating murder." The demon moved a hand to touch him, and Dean caught her wrist. "You're scaring your girlfriend." Dean flinched. Adiana must have been freaked enough already. He didn't need to add to it. He looked down to where a pinprick of red had appeared on her shirt. "Want to give her a kiss and make it all better?"

"Fuck you." Dean met her eyes, but with the demon's words still echoing in his ears, he lowered his gaze to the bruise on her cheek. Flecks of red dotted the dark purple skin. She must have gotten it on the first day, judging by the yellowing around the edges. The demon leaned in slowly until her mouth was resting right next to his ear. His body was tense, ready if she made any sudden movements.

"Want to know how she got this bruise?"

* * *

_Bang. Bang. Bang._

"I'm comin'. I'm comin'. Don't need to break the door down," Bobby muttered. "Idjits." He had heard the rumble of the Impala's engine and its tires crunching up the dirt driveway. Last he'd heard from the boys, they were hurrying off to Independence on the off chance Adiana would be there. Dean had mentioned something about the creature that Adiana had dreamed about. Bobby pulled the front door open. "Now you wanna-" His voice trailed off. The demon grinned impishly up at him from between the Winchesters.

"Boo." The demon continued to smile as Bobby stared at her. Dean shifted forward impatiently.

"Bobby, you got that Devil's Trap fixed?"

"Uh, yeah." Bobby pushed the door wider, stepping out of the way to let everyone file past him. He scanned the front yard once to make sure there were no other demons, or people for that matter, just hanging about before shutting the door and heading back to his study. The demon was struggling against the Winchesters in an attempt to get free, her eyes darting up to the Devil's Trap that was almost above her head. Sam and Dean's faces were strained as they attempted to pull her forward without actually hurting her. Bobby came to their aid and together they were able to move her inside the trap and tie her to a chair, pointedly ignoring the demon's comments that the chair wasn't necessary. They even screwed the chair down for good measure.

"Well, this ain't like nothing I've seen before," Bobby acknowledged, looking the demon over. "Yer sure this is a possession?" Sam and Dean glanced at each other.

"We'll were pretty sure," said Sam. "Holy water burns and they uh… they cut off her tattoo." Bobby furrowed his brow.

"What d'ya mean?"

"We got these-" Dean explained, pulling down the collar of his shirt to reveal the anti-possession tattoo inked onto his chest. "-after what happened with Sam. And when we found…" He looked at the demon and back to Bobby. "They'd gotten rid of it with a steak knife. We had to patch her up."

"So if it's a demon, why don't you just exorcize it?" questioned Bobby, as if they hadn't thought of that.

"We tried."

"And?"

"We had to stop," said Sam.

"Fer what?"

"It wasn't really working and…" Sam hesitated, glancing at Dean who gave no sign that he was going to back his brother up. "…we think it was hurting Adiana." Bobby crossed his arms, his mouth turning down in a skeptical frown.

"Exorcisms are like holy water. They hurt the demon, not the body."

"Yeah well, this isn't exactly your typical possession. And she said—" Bobby put up a hand.

"Hold on. Yer gonna believe what a demon says? Sam, you should know better than anyone."

"No, I know, but…" Sam let out a frustrated sigh and shoved his hands into his pockets. The demon caught his eyes and held them. "They also tell the truth, if they know it'll get to you."

"All right, I know you two haven't slept much in the past few days so yer not exactly thinkin' straight, but odds are this demon's lying." Neither Dean nor Sam spoke up. Bobby couldn't believe that he was hearing this right. "Dean, I need to talk to you." He nodded toward the door to the kitchen, and Dean strode inside and around the corner, out of view of anyone inside the study. Bobby followed, leaving Sam to keep an eye on the demon. "Tell me this demon ain't makin' a fool out of you." Dean shrugged.

"Looks like." Bobby leaned against the counter, shaking his head.

"Dean, I know that's Adiana and you don't want her hurting, but-"

"It's not that," Dean interrupted, finally meeting his gaze.

"Then what?"

"It's…" He held up his blood-speckled hands for emphasis. "Look, we stopped the first time, because Adiana was bleeding to death. Believe me, I wanted to send the thing packing."

"Okay," said Bobby slowly. "But you don't want to do another exorcism?" Dean ran a tired hand over his face. He could still smell the coppery tang of blood on his fingers.

"I never said that."

"All right, I must be missin' something. What exactly is the problem here?"

"Sam."

* * *

"You know that they're going to try the exorcism again,"Adiana observed from the corner of her mind. Being trapped there was an odd sensation. She could see and feel her body moving. And she could feel the pain, but that apparently wasn't supposed to be happening. There were quite a few things going on that weren't supposed to be happening. According to Leraie anyway. That was the name of the demon, which Adiana had managed to coax out of her after a couple hours of calling the demon many colorful other names.

"_Not if I can help it,"_ Leraie shot back. _"And I don't think Sammy here is going to go for it either. Besides, do you really want to go through that again?"_ Blinding pain. The feeling of the demon trying to force its way out of her body. The sensation of liquid fire in her veins. No, Adiana didn't want to go through that again, but she had to.

"If it means getting my body back, then yeah I'd go through it again." Leraie snorted.

"_It wouldn't get rid of me. I told them the truth. It wasn't working. There's something… strange about your body."_ If she could have, Adiana would have rolled her eyes.

"Gee, thanks."

"_I've never had this happen before. Your body feels different. It's not accepting me like it should."_ Leraie twitched her fingers against the chair. _"And my powers aren't working correctly either. I'm practically useless in here."_

"I'm so sorry. That must be so hard for you." Leraie frowned.

"_Do you know how irritating your constant need for sarcasm is?"_

"Do you know how irritating you possessing my body is?" Adiana tried to jab at Leraie's consciousness, but it didn't do anything much more than creating a brief sensation like rubbing up against sandpaper.

"_Touché."_ They were quiet for a moment, but Adiana felt like she had to keep talking. Maybe it was stupid, but she felt like if she stopped talking for too long, she might disappear altogether.

"I don't suppose you'll tell me anything else about what Yellow Eyes wants with me, besides the fact that it's for some ritual to do with that woman in my dreams."

"_For the thousandth time, no. I don't even have all the information. I was just told what I needed to know, in case something like this happened."_

"Well it can't have been that important or he'd have come sooner."

"_You think he doesn't have other things to do, besides deal with one little human? It's all part of the plan."_

"Which is?"

"_No." _

"Not an answer…" Adiana gazed down through Leraie's sight, staring at her bound-up wrists. "I can't believe I'm tied up in a chair again. I'm so sick of being stuck in chairs."

"_It is rather boring. Not to mention the ropes digging into all the bruises. You've got a very low pain tolerance."_ Leraie shifted in the chair again and looked over at Sam, who was watching her intently. _"Maybe I can do something about it._" She smiled as non-threateningly as possible. "Hey Sam, you want to help a girl out?" Sam didn't say a word. "Look, I really don't think it's necessary to have me tied up. Can't really move outside of that." She tilted her head up towards the Devil's Trap on the ceiling. "Even just my arms. The rope's a little tight."

"I don't think so," Sam finally answered, crossing his arms over his chest.

"He's not stupid," Adiana scoffed. "There's no way he's letting you go."

"Don't you think Adiana's spent enough time all bound up?" Leraie continued. Sam flinched._ "That struck a nerve. You know, he seems more concerned about you than Dean does." _She began to dig through Adiana's memories.

"Hey, stay out of those!" Adiana protested, as they flashed before her.

"I mean, she practically lived in that chair when we had her," Leraie confided, sifting through Adiana's memories for any bit of information that would confirm her suspicion. "And now she's a prisoner inside her own head. And all she can feel is being stuck in a chair all over again." She found it.

"Get out!" Adiana rammed against the wall in her mind, trying to regain some control. But it was too late. Leraie laughed.

"_My, my someone was a naughty boy. Bet it's just eating him up inside."_ She managed to keep her face composed. "How about I let you talk to Adiana for one minute, and you free my hands?" Sam hesitated.

"Let me get Dean and Bobby, and then we'll-"

"No. This is my only offer. I'll even put in my end of the deal first," Leraie promised. Adiana was quiet, torn between wanting to talk to Sam and not wanting Leraie to get her way. Maybe she wouldn't be able to do anything with unbound arms, but Adiana didn't trust her.

"Let me talk to Adiana," Sam conceded. "Then, we'll see." Leraie shrugged.

"It's something, I guess. Okay Adiana, come on out." She closed her eyes, squeezing them shut. They flashed open again.

"Sam?" Adiana tried quietly. But her mouth didn't move. She sighed in frustration. "Why didn't it work?"

"_I don't know. I told you, your body is resisting me."_

"Good for my body."

"Adiana?" Sam took a step forward, looking into her eyes. Adiana sensed what Leraie was about to do.

"Don't even."

"Sam…" Leraie said cautiously. She let out a sigh of relief. "I thought for a second nothing would come out." Sam's face softened immediately.

"Oh, go to Hell," Adiana hissed.

"_Been there. Done that. Got the t-shirt." _

"Yeah," Sam replied. "I remember the feeling." He hovered just outside the edge of the trap, looking like he was considering whether or not to get closer. "How are you holding up?"

"Okay, I guess." Leraie gave him a half-hearted smile. "My chest stings a little, and I never want to have to sit another day in my life, but I'm managing." Sam nodded, but a guilty look flashed across his eyes.

"We're going to figure something out. Get you free as soon as we can."

"_Aww, he's so worried about you."_ Adiana didn't even bother responding, just continued seething. _"Guess I'll throw the puppy a bone." _

"I know you will, but sleep a little first, okay? You and Dean look like you're about ready to drop. One day of this won't kill me."

"Yeah, maybe we'll get a few hours." But it was obvious that he didn't mean it.

"That'd be good… Listen Sam, you have to promise me something."

"What?"

"Don't let them try another exorcism." Sam frowned, chills running up his spine. He backed away a step, guard up.

"How do I know you're Adiana?"

"Ha, there you go," Adiana said with relish. "How are you going to prove that one?"

"What? Um…" Leraie bit down on the corner of her lip. _"There's got to be some way."_

"Best luck figuring it out especially with um…" Adiana paused a second before an idea came to her. She began singing the theme from Jeopardy as loud as she could manage. Leraie grimaced.

"_I hate humans." _

"You all right?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, she's just… singing the Jeopardy theme song. And not very well either." Sam smiled briefly. "Look, you don't know if I'm Adiana or not. But I am. And, believe me, I really don't want to have a demon in my head anymore, but when you did that exorcism I just… I felt like I was on fire. And this demon, she really does seem confused about what's happening. You stopped. You knew something was wrong. So does she, and so do I. And I know Dean means well, but if you let him do the exorcism, I'm afraid that something really, really bad is going to happen."

"Sam!" Dean's voice called from the kitchen. Sam still had a lingering flicker of doubt on his face, but Leraie was pretty sure she'd gotten through to him. At least enough. She closed her eyes and then opened them again, pretending that she was just returning.

"How about my arms before you go?" she asked as Sam was beginning to back out of the room. He gave her one last troubled glance before leaving. _"Hmpf, rude."_

"That wasn't rude," Adiana snipped, irritated that Leraie had impersonated her. "You didn't actually hold up your end of the deal."

"_He doesn't know that. Besides, you should thank me. I just did us a favor."_

"Oh, really?"

"_Yeah, I meant what I said. They try it and something bad will happen."_

"They still might."

"_Not if lover boy can help it. Does Dean know, by the way?" _Adiana paused, and that was enough. Leraie laughed aloud. This wasn't good. In fact, it made Adiana very, very worried.

"No, he doesn't know. And it's going to stay that way."

"_Or you'll do what, exactly?"_ From somewhere close by, a door slammed. That had sounded like the front door. Adiana and Leraie listened. They couldn't hear voices in the kitchen anymore. They couldn't hear anything.

"Um… did they really just leave us here?" Leraie paid no attention. She was taking the opportunity to look for a way out. Even if the chair wasn't screwed to the floor, just knocking it sideways wasn't going to break the chair. She fought the restraints, yanking limbs against the rope. Pain flared up. "Ow. Hey, cut it out! The ropes are too tight." Leraie twisted her head to look over her shoulder. The desk was too far away to be useful. A car started out in the driveway, but it didn't sound like the Impala. After a few more minutes of struggling, they heard the front door open. Leraie stopped moving, as Dean appeared in the doorway.

"Hey, Dean…we thought you'd left," Leraie said warily. Dean shook his head as he walked over to Bobby's desk.

"You're not that lucky." Leraie turned to watch as he scanned a row of books in one of the large bookcases.

"What about Sam and Bobby?"

"Out." Dean selected one of the books and then bent down to get something under the desk. When he came out back around, there was a metal bucket in his hands. Had to be holy water.

"I don't want to say I told you so," started Adiana. "But I told you so." Although even as she said it, Adiana felt increasingly nervous. Leraie really did think something could go wrong and that did not bode well for either of them. Adiana had thought that maybe Sam really would prevent Dean from trying this again, but that was clearly why Sam wasn't there. And she doubted very much Dean had told him the truth.

"I wasn't lying before, Dean," cautioned Leraie as he set the bucket down in front of her. "This isn't going to end well."

"Just shut up," he muttered, flipping through the pages of the book.

"What if I had you talk to Adiana? Here, listen, you can talk to her." Dean must have found the right page, because he stopped and folded over one of the sides. He wouldn't even look up at her. "Fine. You know what? Kill her." Leraie settled back in the chair. "I don't care."

"You care… because you think you might die," Adiana realized.

"_I think… if you die, something might go wrong with me."_ Dean started reading.

"Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus omnis satanic potestas…"

"_Hey, Adiana?"_

"Yeah?"

"…omnis incursion infernalis adversarii, omnis legio…"

"_Hold on." _It started in Adiana's head and worked its way down. The burning, faint at first, and cranking up in intensity, splintered through her body. It flowed down to her heart where it branched off, setting her insides ablaze. Her body jerked of its own accord, yanking against the rope that bound her body. Her wrists stung as the rope tugged her bare skin, turning even the bruises an angry shade of pink. Pain slammed into her stomach with the force of a bull and she doubled over, throat contracting to vomit again and again but nothing came out. No smoke, just dry heaving. Then came the expanding, as if she was suddenly too small for her skin, but couldn't break free of it. She couldn't breathe right. She couldn't breathe at all. "Dean! You have - to - stop!" It was the last coherent words Leraie could form. But he didn't look up. And he didn't stop.

"…Ergo draco maledicte et omnis legio diabolica…" Warm blood dripped from her nose. Her head jerked up to the ceiling, mouth opening wide in a silent howl. She choked on a mouthful of blood. Her body seized in fits of spasms, flecks of white light bursting in her eyes. There was a loud cracking sound as one of the arms of the chair snapped in half. Everything hurt, she couldn't even tell where the feeling was coming from anymore, because it was everywhere. Tears streamed from her eyes, oddly cool against her burning skin. Adiana was screaming. Or was it Leraie? Maybe they both were, blood spraying from the force of air coming out of her mouth. "..audi nos." A bursting eruption from her chest, and Adiana blacked out.

* * *

There was a buzzing, whining sound in her ears, and her body hurt. It hurt a lot. The pain became sharper every minute, the aching in her limbs and the throbbing in her chest. If this was what death was like, Adiana was not impressed.

"_You're not dead. Don't be stupid." _Adiana was actually glad to hear Leraie's voice, if only because it meant she really was still alive. Sounds began to echo in her ears.

"What happened?"

"_No clue." _

"I mean since I passed out."

"_I don't know. I just woke up same as you." _

"Oh… I didn't know demons could pass out."

"_I didn't either." _They sat in contemplative silence as more sensation returned, though it was mostly unwelcome. The sounds focused into voices.

"I can't believe you'd do this behind my back, Dean." Sam's voice sounded far away. His tone was angry, but there was dejectedness in it as well.

"Yeah well, I did okay? And I can't change what I did, so leave it the hell alone." Dean was much closer. Actually, he sounded like he was right next to her. Something brushed against her wrist, softly at first and then tightening. Adiana groaned in her head as bones scraped up against each other.

"You promised you wouldn't do anything while I was gone."

"I lied. Sue me. I did what I thought was best for her."

"Yeah, it really looks like you did what's best for her."

"Boys," Bobby cut in, "That's enough. Looks like someone's waking up." Adiana could feel all their eyes turned toward her. Leraie must have shifted in her seat enough that Bobby noticed. Floorboards creaked as Dean backed up from under the Devil's Trap.

"_Showtime." _Leraie opened her eyes. Sam was standing across the room, his eyes glazed over with exhaustion and worry. Bobby hovered nearby, silver flask in his hand. Dean stood right on the edge of the trap, holding onto a bloody piece of ripped fabric. There was blood all over his hands and some streaks of black. Leraie looked down at herself. Blood speckled her shirt and there was a smear of black over her wound. Fabric was wrapped around her wrist. Ah, he'd been putting it in a splint. She looked back up at him.

"So, I hope you got that out of your system now." Her voice came out as little more than a rasp. She coughed, muscles in her throat contracting as little as they could in their swollen state. Small spasms shook her torso. "Because we will not be making it through another round of that."

"So Adiana-" Dean started.

"-is still up in here." Leraie raised her free hand and tapped it to her head before letting it drop. That took more effort than it should have. "Can't say we're feeling too stellar at the moment though." She coughed several times, watery liquid filling her mouth.

"Oh God." Adiana experience a stinging in her chest, followed by a contracting feeling. "Tell them to kick that bucket over here."

"You wanna explain what happened?" Bobby questioned.

"Sure, if you just want to…. put that bucket…" She had another fit of coughing, some of the liquid spilling down her chin "…right over here." Leraie moved her right foot, gesturing to the floor in front of her. Everyone stared as if she had suddenly sprouted another head.

"And uh, what are you going to do with a bucket of holy water?" Dean asked.

"_Why am I doing this?" _

"Because we're about to-" Leraie doubled over as her stomach clenched hard. Several hiccupping sounds escaped her throat, as shivers slid down her spine. Her heartbeat sped up, pounding in her ears. She coughed, trying to hold back the bile rising in her throat. Suddenly, there was the half-empty bucket of holy water in front of her. She retched, each heave making her muscles ache. Red and black dripped from her mouth, spraying into the bucket sending steam rising off of the water. The red looked like blood, the black… Adiana didn't have the faintest idea. After about a minute of this, her stomach calmed enough that Leraie could straighten back up.

"Now I don't suppose I could get a glass of actual water." Bobby looked very much like he was contemplating dumping the bucket of holy water over her head, or Dean's, for he had been the one to move the bucket in the first place. Dean was staring into the water with a frown.

"I'll get it," Sam offered, looking a little sick himself, and went into the kitchen. Bobby sighed, evidently resigned to the fact that he was going to have to make a run for more holy water.

"So now you wanna explain?"

"Don't know, actually." Leraie tried to wet her lip, only succeeding in spreading some blood across them. "Not that I'd be likely to tell you if I did, but I really don't."

"Well that makes four of us." From inside the recesses of her mind, Adiana murmured just one word so quietly that not even Leraie caught it.

"Five."


	34. Letting Go Is Hard To Do

**For my reviewers: Dean's Racy Ally, chase83, Alyssa43, hikachan3, bonniebeast and Jessfairy88**

Twelve days. For twelve days, Adiana watched as Sam, Dean and Bobby ran themselves into the ground trying to figure out what had happened to her. She wished that she could have taken control of her body even for a minute to tell them to take a break. Eventually, she bugged Leraie enough about it that the demon actually told them, but it did absolutely no good. They consumed old texts, called hunters day and night, even summoned up a crossroads demon to extract information. Nothing cropped up that matched Adiana's case, and things slowly were getting worse.

On the day after the exorcism, it had been agreed that Leraie would be allowed to take a shower, much to Adiana's relief, partly to wash off all the blood and dirt that could infect her wounds and partly to make sure there wasn't a binding link etched somewhere on her body. Under Dean's watchful eyes, Leraie washed away all the blood and oil in her hair and on her skin. And that was when Adiana and Leraie both noticed it. The veins on her chest, creeping up towards her neck and down her stomach had turned black. At the center over her heart, the skin had turned the light pinkish color of burning flesh. She pressed her hand to it. The skin was hot. Leraie stumbled out of the shower, rubbing the steam from the mirror to get a better look. Dean had come up behind her, brushing aside strands of wet hair, studying the back of her neck with a concerned expression. She twisted around. Her veins stood out from mid-chest all along her spinal column, disappearing up her neck into her hair. And day after day, the black continued to spread out, splintering her skin like ice.

The chest wound started to heal. The bruises began to yellow and fade. Her fractured hand was easier to move. However, the pain did not go away. Everything ached, and the pain intensified and then faded at seemingly random intervals. Adiana and Leraie would experience that same sensation they had felt during the exorcism. It was the feeling that something was pushing from beneath the skin, forcing its way out and making their thoughts foggy. Whatever was going on, it was making Adiana and Leraie both very tired. They would doze off for a few hours at a time, a new experience for Leraie, and not one that she particularly enjoyed. It was a dreamless sleep that simply cut out hours that would have been spent watching the men run in and out of the house, after which they would inevitably wake up still feeling exhausted. Even when they were released from the chair, Leraie would sit on the floor, only pacing at short intervals when her legs fell asleep.

Currently, Leraie was curled up on the floor, resting against a pillow. After one of her naps, she had woken up with it tucked under her head and a worn comforter thrown over her. No one had owned up to giving them to her, but what mattered was that it deadened some of the discomfort that came from sleeping on a wooden floor. Of course a bed would have been better, but that would have been pushing it. She had wrapped herself up in the comforter, keeping the edges pulled tight in her good hand.

"_It wouldn't kill them to turn up the heat a little." _

"It's not cold," Adiana responded with a sigh. "We have a fever, remember?" Leraie huffed and pulled the blanket even tighter. She looked over at Sam. After five days of only sleeping if their bodies forced a shut down, Bobby insisted that the boys get some serious rest. After a short argument, they agreed with the condition that they would watch Leraie in shifts. Still, they were not getting enough hours in, and Sam had fallen asleep under the window with a book open in his lap.

"_Sam would do it." _

"Let him sleep. He needs it."

"_Fine." _Leraie didn't have the energy to fight, and Adiana was right. He did need the sleep. Besides, out of the three men Leraie liked Sam best. He was the only one who would actually talk to her. It must have been the demon connection in his blood. Azazel had been right. Even so, she wished that she hadn't pledged her allegiance to him because now things had gone wrong beyond repair. And she was tired of dealing with this mess. It was about time to let Adiana know. _"Adiana, we need to talk."_

"Okay. Shoot."

"_I think I'm making you sick." _

"Hallelujah. She's finally catching on."

"_I'm serious." _Adiana shifted in her mind, brushing up against Leraie's consciousness. There was a burning sensation, and she backed off. Still, she couldn't sense any deception.

"What do you mean?"

"_I told you that your body was resisting me. Usually being inside a human, it's…"_ Leraie was silent as she sought a way to explain a concept that was beyond human understanding._ "Well… you've played video games?" _

"Yeah. Wait, have you played video games?"

"_I was in a game designer for a while," _Leraie murmured absently, poking around through Adiana's memories.

"I wish you'd stop doing that." Adiana watched as Leraie found a particular memory and examined it for several minutes.

"_What's this called?"_

"It's the Sims."

"_All right, it's like playing the Sims." _

"Um… that's…what?"

"_You can control them; make them do what you want with relatively little resistance. Only occasionally will the body be able to fight your command. And it's all as easy as pressing a button on your controller." _

"Okay." That sort of made sense… in a really weird way. "So what's the problem?"

"_I'm trying to play your Playstation game on an Xbox. Sometimes the game just doesn't work, but sometimes the consol will ruin the disk."_

"But why are we two different systems?"

"_My best guess? You're from a parallel universe, so your body has a slightly different make-up. I can't explain exactly what it is, but there's something about you that feels strange. Not like other humans. Hell does expand from this universe into the others but my original form must be from this one. It's been way too long for me to remember."_

"But then something like this must have happened before, if a demon came up in this universe that was originally a human in another universe. I can't be the only one."

"_And yet, no one seems to have heard of this before. What does that tell you?" _

Adiana was quiet for a very long time. Leraie's theory was just that. A theory. There was no proof that it was true… except that they were the proof. The smoke swirling in her eyes, there but not part of her. The veins filled with black blood. The heat blazing up from beneath, burning her skin. The exhaustion. The pain. Even though she'd been trying as much as she could to ignore it, Adiana knew that if her body kept declining at the rate it was going, then she wouldn't last much longer.

"So what you're basically saying is that you're a virus my body can't fight off, so I'm going to – to die."

"_I'm not a virus, but yes that's the general gist of it."_

"How much time, do you think?"

"_At this rate? Hmmm…" _Leraie furrowed her brow thoughtfully._ "A few weeks if you're lucky. I think that little stunt Dean pulled cost us more time."_

"Us? So you too, then?"

"_Pretty sure. All my powers have been zapped and this pain is bothering me way more than it should. Plus, I feel really thin and all… spread out. It's kind of hard to explain but if you go, I don't think I can hold this body together." _

"But if we have a couple weeks, then there's still time. Bobby's got a ton of connections and more books than a library. Someone was bound to have recorded something that can help."

"_You really believe that?" _

"I believe that there's at least a chance. And if anyone is going to save me, it'll be Sam and Dean. They wouldn't give up on me."

"_No, they won't. So maybe it's time that you give up on yourself."_

"What?"

"_You care about them?"_

"Of course."

"_Really? Then why are you willing to let them watch you die?" _Adiana was speechless, so Leraie plowed forward. _"For weeks they'll have to watch, knowing you're trapped inside a dying body and unable to do anything about it. You can already see it. Sam looks at you like you're a dying kitten he doesn't know how to save and Dean, well he won't even look at you. Even Bobby's just putting on a brave face for the Winchesters. And you want to torture them like this for weeks, making them feel guiltier as they practically kill themselves trying to save you? Maybe I'm not the expert on this, but that doesn't seem much like caring to me."_

Adiana had compressed herself in the back of mind, feeling close to tears but unable to cry. No, she didn't want to cause that much pain. She hated even seeing Sam and Dean the way they were now. She didn't deserve them, it was true. She's always known that. And they didn't deserve to feel guilty about something they had no control over. But how could she just admit defeat when she knew that her death would tear them up? Yet there was a part of her that wondered if it would be that bad. They'd dealt with harder losses before.

"So, what are you suggesting then?"

"_That we cut this short. Make it easier on everyone. Look, the Winchesters will start getting over your death faster, and they can't dedicate the rest of their lives to exacting revenge, because I'll be gone. You can head on off to Heaven. And I don't have to worry about ending up back in Hell, where my boss would make the rest of my existence extremely unpleasant for me." _

"No. Listen, they'll still blame themselves for not watching you. And maybe if we both get weak enough, I'll actually be able to talk. I think it might be better if I got to speak to them one last time. Just to let them know that I'll be okay. It's better that way. At least they have each other."

"_That sounds nice and all but I really wasn't asking your permission._ _I've thought it over, and I'm taking my chances. I just figured it would make this whole thing a lot easier if you were on board."_

"Leraie, wait-"

"_Bye, Adiana. It's been… interesting." _Leraie loosened her hold on the comforter and turned away from Sam so that she was facing the desk. She slipped her hands out where she could see them. Adiana panicked and began to throw herself repeatedly against the burning wall between their two consciousnesses. She willed her limbs to move, all the while calling Sam's name, screaming it so that it echoed in her head. But no matter how hard she pushed, she didn't have enough strength.

Leraie undid the bandages wrapped tightly around her broken wrist. She rested the hot skin between her teeth, tightening her jaw. A deep breath, and then Leraie bit down hard while jerking her head to the left. The skin tore away in her mouth, black blood spurting up. She spat the mouthful of skin and nerves onto the floor and then tore out another chunk of flesh. Blood and sinew filled her mouth, faintly tasting of burnt meat.

Adiana stopped pounding on the wall. God, how could Leraie stand it? She wanted to gag on the mouthful of her own flesh. But she didn't have much time. Calm down, and look for a crack or some weakness in the wall. She began to feel more carefully.

Leraie shoved the one wounded wrist back under the comforter and focused attention on her other hand. She tore into that one as well, and blood welled up. It wasn't deep enough. She needed to hit the artery. She moved a little higher along the arm, making sure bone was touching the top of her teeth before biting off a mouthful of muscle and skin. Black sprayed over her face. Perfect. She slipped the hand under the comforter, already feeling dizzy and dedicated her remaining strength to holding up the wall that would keep Adiana out.

* * *

3:11. Dean stared at the alarm clock next to his bed. Nineteen minutes until shift change. He could have closed his eyes and tried to get more sleep. Hell, that's probably what he should have done, but now that he was awake, he'd feel guilty taking any more time. Just over three hours was enough to keep him going for a while. Sammy could catch the extra shut-eye. Dean sat up and stretched, yawning wide. He swung his legs over the side of the bed, jamming his feet into boots. He'd been going to bed dressed just in case he needed be ready in a hurry, but the boots would have been overkill, not to mention damned uncomfortable. As quietly as he could on the old floorboards, he slipped out of the guest bedroom and down the stairs.

First thing he noticed in the study was Sam passed out on the window seat. He quickly glanced at the demon, but she was unmoving under the Devil's Trap. Well, no harm, no foul. Besides, neither of them had been getting enough sleep. He'd just let his brother lay where he was. The floor squeaked as Dean slipped across the room and pulled the book from Sam's limp hands. _Demons and the Eighteenth Century_. Yikes. No wonder Sam couldn't stay awake. But Dean would pick up where Sam had left off anyway, on the off chance there was something in the book that could explain what the hell was happening to Adiana.

The only place left to sit was the desk chair, so Dean slumped down into that and kicked his feet up onto the desk. The demon still hadn't moved or spoken a word, meaning she was probably asleep too. He hadn't believed she'd been out the first time it had happened. Slumped over in the chair, they'd all thought the worst, but their yelling had made her open her eyes. As it kept happening though, his confidence was shaken. What was the point in pretending to be asleep? It wasn't like they were going to leave her unsupervised because her eyes were closed. None of it made any sense, and the fact that the demon maintained that she had no idea what was going on was making him nervous.

Dean looked over the desk at the demon wrapped up in an old blanket that Sam had gotten out of a closet after watching her shiver for a few hours. Blonde hair covered her face, and for that he was grateful. He hated having to see the dark black veins that crept over Adiana's skin, reminding him that no matter how peaceful she looked, there was a demon lurking just beneath the surface. The moonlight only touched her back. The rest of her body was thrown into dark shadow that was… shining? He set down the book and stood up. A patch of the blanket near her stomach glistened as he stepped around the desk and crouched down. He touched the blanket. It was wet. He grabbed the demon's shoulder, rolling her on her back and revealing her face. Her lips were smeared with black, flecks of it spotting her cheeks and drying on her chin along with small drops of red. Apprehension settled like a rock in his chest as he pulled the blanket open. More black stained her arms and her wrists were a torn-up mess. Much of the blood had clotted, but some still leaked out onto the blanket. For a second, Dean was frozen in shock. Bit her wrists open. A demon suicide. No. Not suicide, murder.

"Sam!" A snorting sound came from behind him as Sam woke up. Dean pressed his fingers to Adiana's neck. Her pulse was faint, but still beating. "Bobby!"

"What-" Sam took one look at Adiana and got to his feet. "Jesus Christ."

"Get bandages." Dean wrapped the edges of the blanket around her wrists and pressed them against the ground.

"I didn't-"

"Just go!" Sam stumbled out of the room to get the medical supplies. From above, Dean heard the sound of footsteps as Bobby got up. "Adiana, you gotta stay with me. You gotta stay with me." If the demon had been waiting to ambush him, this was her chance, but there was still no movement. That scared him more than anything. He could hear the pounding of the stairs as Bobby came down, nearly running into Sam.

"What's going on?" Bobby asked, but he got his answer as Dean let go of the blanket to take one of the rolls of medical bandages from Sam's outstretched hand. "Aw, dammit boys." Dean started wrapping the bandage tightly around one of Adiana's wrists while Sam did the other one.

"What'd we do, Bobby?" Dean kept twisting the bandage around her wrist as black blood soaked through. "We can't take her to a hospital."

"You think I don't know that?" Bobby ran a hand across the back of his neck as he hovered over the Winchesters. "All right. Dean, tie up under her elbow too, looks like that one hit an artery. And keep her arms up. And careful, remember there's a demon in there. I'm gonna make a call." He ducked out into the kitchen. Dean finished tying the bandage on her wrist and started the one on her arm. Her skin was much cooler than it had been earlier.

"Dean, I'm sorry." Sam sniffed, his voice cracking. "I just – I swear I just wanted to shut my eyes for a minute. If she dies-"

"Shut up." Dean looked up at his brother. Sam was staring at him with so much guilt on his face that for a split second Dean considered saying that this wasn't his fault. But he couldn't. "She's not gonna die, you hear me? I'm not gonna let her die." Dean turned his gaze away, back to Adiana's face as he worked to tie the second tourniquet knot. A single strand of hair fluttered at the corner of her lips, letting him know that she was still breathing. But barely. Her arm was slack in his hands as he held it up. The feeling of helplessness surrounded him, weighing down on him as he watched her. "I can't lose you, baby." Adiana didn't move, probably couldn't even hear him. Why hadn't he ever told her how much she meant to him? Because he hadn't realized until now. Not really. "I love you." He shuddered, a sob rising in his throat that he forced back down. "So damned much." He leaned forward and pressed his lips against her forehead. Her breath warmed his neck, and for a moment with his eyes shut, he could believe she was only sleeping. But if she slept now, she'd never wake up. Please baby, he willed, breathing in the scent of her skin, wake up.

"Either of you boys know her blood type?" Dean straightened up, and both Winchesters looked over at Bobby. He was standing in the kitchen doorway with a phone pressed to his chest. "Look I know this ain't easy, but could ya pull yourselves together enough to answer the question?" Bobby continued as gently as he could when they continued to stare at him.

"N-no," Sam answered in a small voice. Dean shrugged and shook his head. Bobby lifted the phone to his mouth.

"No…. Well we got plenty of that…. Hold on." He dropped the phone again. "Anything with her blood on it before she was…" He just nodded towards Adiana on the floor. Again Dean shook his head, but Sam had an idea.

"Her shirt." He cleared his throat. "From when we found her. It's in the trash out front."

"Go grab it, would ya?" Bobby then put the phone back to his ear. "Yeah, we think we got something." He wandered back into the kitchen, continuing the conversation in the shadows.

"I'll go." Sam's eyes were shining with unshed tears as he gently held out Adiana's arm towards Dean. "You can stay with her."

"No, I'll go." Dean needed a few minutes to clear his head before he had a breakdown right here. If he looked at Adiana like this for another second, he knew he would. Sam nodded in understanding and took her other wrist. Dean got up and headed out the front door.

As soon as it closed behind him, Dean sat down hard on the top step of the porch. His hands balled up into fists, and he pressed them against his eyes as he felt them burn with the effort of holding back tears. It would have been easy to blame Sammy, so easy. But it was his fault too. He should have been watching her. He never trusted that demon bitch for a second, so he should have never left her alone. And somehow trying to Merrin his way out of this one had made it worse, he was sure. If only he hadn't pissed that demon off, maybe Adiana would still be awake and not– Dean suddenly slammed a fist against the porch. Pain shot up through his hand. The wood cracked beneath his fist with splinters digging into his knuckles, but he didn't care. It felt good to just hit something, anything. But he didn't have time. He needed to get back inside and he needed to keep it together just in case she – He got up off the steps quickly and went to find the trash can.

Adiana's bloody shirt and jeans were sticking out of the top of the can. Dean took the lid off and pulled out her shirt, speckled with dark red stains and a smear of black. He folded it over his arm before going back inside. He took the direct route to the kitchen where Bobby was still on the phone, pacing back and forth.

"If you think it'll work, fine. But I swear to you if…Uh huh." Bobby caught Dean's eye and mouthed 'on my desk' and then frowned deeply at whatever the person on the other end of the phone was saying. Dean brushed by him, but stopped in the doorway between the rooms.

"…I promised I'd be there when you needed me and I wasn't." Tears shone on Sam's face, as bright as the blood in the moonlight. "I killed Jess. I could have saved her and I didn't. Just like I could have saved you. If I'd only just stayed awake, you wouldn't be…" Fresh tears fell from his eyes as he squeezed them shut, choking back a sob. His whole body convulsed, and he was forced to take a deep breath of air. "Adiana, I'm so sorry."

It hurt Dean even more to see his kid brother in tears like this. If he couldn't do anything to make Adiana feel better, at least he could do something for Sam. Yeah, he was going to have to be the strong one. Somehow. Dean strode into the room, and Sam gazed up at him, as he placed the shirt down on Bobby's desk. Dean knelt down next to Adiana and took one of her hands. His tongue darted out over his lips as he steadied himself, making sure his face didn't betray any emotion.

"It's gonna be okay, Sammy. It's gonna be okay." Sam nodded almost imperceptibly. He sniffed and ran his shirt sleeve over his face.

"Got someone who should be able to help," said Bobby, coming back into the room without the telephone this time. He pulled down the brim of his cap.

"Who?"

"Her name's Doctor Claudia Wyatt, and uh..." Bobby leaned against his desk and crossed his arms. "There're a few things you outta know before she gets here."

* * *

Adiana was warm, really warm. She'd had that fever so long she had almost forgotten what it felt like. It was nice. She just kind of felt like she was floating on something really warm and soft. It was on her back or maybe she was lying down on it. Yes, she was lying down. And then the cold began to creep in, but the softness stayed. What was happening? She didn't like the sensation. Like ice, that cold started at her head and slid down over her body. She wanted it to be warm again. Now it hurt, soreness all over. What had happened? But as the discomfort intensified, memories flooded in, wave after wave. Sam. Dean. Blood. Pain. Leraie.

"_Yes?"_ Adiana groaned. So, she was still stuck with the demon that had tried to kill her. Well, at least that meant she was still alive. That explained the overwhelming exhaustion.

"You sound weird."

"_I make an unsuccessful attempt on your life and the first thing you say to me is 'you sound weird'. You humans really are a strange race." _But Leraie did sound peculiar. Her voice had always sounded so strong in Adiana's head, and now it was more distant and sort of tired and sleepy. Speaking of which, her left foot was definitely asleep. She wriggled it, trying to shake off the unpleasant tingling feeling.

"Wait…" Adiana shifted her foot again and wiggled her toes. They moved. She moved them. Her eyes flashed open. White spots danced in front of her eyes, and she had to blink several times until they adjusted. She was in a room that she had no recollection of. Her cheek rested against a faded blue pillow, and she was facing a closed wooden door. No elaborate furnishings in this room. She turned her head, looking up at the Devil's Trap spray-painted onto the ceiling. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a flash of movement and she glanced toward it.

"Dean!" Adiana said aloud. Dean was sitting on a chair right next to her bed, watching her anxiously, but she saw the flicker of relief that passed across his eyes. Adiana tried to sit up, but pain flared in her arms as she put weight on her wrists.

"Whoa." Dean caught Adiana as she slumped backwards, putting a hand behind her back to prevent her from slamming into the headboard. "Hey Sa – mmpf." Adiana cut him off as she closed the few inches of space between them and kissed him. She felt him respond almost instantly, pressing his lips back against hers as he pulled her closer.

"_Awkward." _Adiana tensed, and that was enough to remind Dean of what he was doing. He jerked back, breaking the kiss and giving his head a little shake.

"I'm sorry," Adiana apologized to him. "I just… I honestly thought I was never going to see you again." She reached out to touch him and something yanked painfully on the inside of her elbow. "Ow. What the hell?" Adiana looked to see a needle taped down to her skin. She followed the needle up the attached tube and to a bag of clear liquid hanging next to her bed. They'd put her on an IV. She couldn't believe Bobby had one of those around.

"Adiana?" Adiana focused her attention back on Dean.

"Yeah. Yeah, sorry. Just woke up, my attention's a little bit-" She shrugged. "-everywhere." Dean was staring as if he couldn't decide whether it was really her or not. After what happened with Sam, it wasn't like she could really blame him, but she would have to try and prove it. If she acted like herself for long enough, maybe he'd begin to believe her. "So where's Sam?" Dean pulled his hands away, his fingers curling almost into fists before he set them on his knees. He shrugged.

"No clue. I'm gonna go-"

"No, wait!" Adiana said quickly as Dean started to get out of his chair. "Stay with me. I'm not sure if this is going to la-" She nearly screamed, as she suddenly felt like someone had jammed a white hot poker into her brain. Then the pain was gone, and Leraie stretched her shoulders.

"That's better." She smiled at Dean.

"Oh, come on," Adiana groaned. She prodded the wall she'd once again been forced behind and began to feel a sting. Leraie remained firmly in control.

"Hiya, Dean. I hope you enjoyed that little exchange because that's the last radio broadcast from Adiana for a while." Dean's face hardened, mouth curling into a sneer. And that was when the door clicked open.

"Ah, I thought I heard voices." The woman who strode through the door had to be in her early fifties, or maybe older, considering she seemed relatively in shape. She had cropped brown hair that fell to her shoulders in a perfectly straight bob. She was well dressed with a light cardigan over a pressed button-up shirt and navy dress pants. Green eyes shone from behind black designer glasses and her lips were curved in a small smile. Heels clacked across the floor as she approached the bed. "Glad to see you're awake. I'm Doctor Claudia Wyatt." She held out a hand with perfectly manicured fingernails. Leraie glanced at it, but made no move to shake hands.

"_Do you know who this is?"_

"No." Adiana decided to hold back. She might as well figure out what had happened and what exactly was going on before she tried anything else. At least she knew it was possible now to take control. Something had changed. Claudia dropped her hand, her smile faltering for only a moment.

"So, how are we feeling?"

"Um… fine." Claudia circled the bed, checking on the IV drip. She tilted her head.

"I'd be most surprised if you felt fine after everything that you've been through."

"Okay, then." Leraie peeked at Dean, but he was watching Claudia intently. "Exhausted and in excruciating pain."

"Now that sounds more like it. And how about you, Adiana?" Adiana shifted. It was strange to be addressed directly when she couldn't really answer.

"Tell her the same thing, I guess."

"The same," Leraie relayed. _"If she keeps talking to you, I'm not carrying messages back and forth."_

"Okay, you're not my owl. I understand."

"_What?"_

"Never mind. It wasn't actually that funny." Claudia opened the drawer in the bedside table and rummaged through it.

"Unfortunate, but at least you're still alive, hmmm?" she commented over the rustling and clinking sounds that came from inside the drawer.

"Yes, I'm thrilled." Leraie shuffled back along the bed so she could rest against the headboard. "This is your doing, then?"

"Afraid so." Claudia pulled a short thermometer out of the drawer and shut it. "Now if you wouldn't mind opening up?"

"_Is she serious?" _

"I'm afraid so," Adiana responded. From where exactly had they dug up a doctor that could deal with this kind of stuff? She must have been close by. "Just go with it. I want to find out what happened." Rolling her eyes, Leraie opened her mouth to allow Claudia to stick in the thermometer.

"Thank you." Claudia took Leraie's chin in her hands and looked into her eyes. "Sorry about this. Just need to be thorough." She let go and pressed two, cool fingers to Leraie's throat. "I'd check your wrist for a pulse but that's not exactly… an option anymore." She finished absently as she stared at a watch on her wrist.

"_I'm not going along with this." _

"You're just as curious as I am. Now stop complaining. If anyone gets to pout, it's me. You tried to kill me, remember?"

"_It was our best option. I still think it's our best option."_

"Your pulse is a little fast and…" Claudia drew out the thermometer, leaving Leraie to wet her lips in an attempt to get rid of the plastic taste from her mouth. "One hundred. Hmmm, that's up from yesterday."

"Yesterday? How long were we out?" Adiana asked in surprise, as Claudia drew out a small black notebook from her pants pocket and started scribbling in it.

"So tell me, where are you feeling pain?" Claudia inquired, not looking up from her notebook, before Leraie could say Adiana's question aloud.

"Where am I feeling pain?" Leraie repeated with an edge of disbelief etched into her voice.

"Yes."

"Okay. Look, lady." Claudia did look up then. Her pen hovered over the open page. "I get that you're trying to make Adiana all better and you probably owe Bobby a favor or something. But, here's the deal." Leraie smoothed out the blanket over her legs. "As you've gathered from the fact that I essentially chewed and ripped Adiana's wrists open, I don't actually want to live nor do I particularly care if she gets better. So thanks for all your help, but I'm not going to be answering any of your questions."

"Just answer her questions," Dean demanded in a dangerously low tone, "or-"

"Or what? You have nothing on me and you know it. You want to cause Adiana more pain after you left her alone to bleed to death? You know, I had legions of demons under my control down in Hell, and I'm tired of not getting any respect from – what are you doing now?" Claudia had gone back to digging through the drawer. She didn't answer.

"Where is all this coming from?" Adiana asked, feeling something bright and hot coming from the front of her mind. "You've been oddly calm up until now."

"_I'm – you wouldn't understand." _

"Try me."

"_No. I'm done." _The blinding flash of pain hit again, searing Adiana's skull. Adiana put a hand up to her head, wincing as she bent her wrist. Well, she was back in control, but she could still feel Leraie lurking at the back of her consciousness.

"Ow." She shook her head, lowering her hand when Claudia grabbed it. "Ow!" Something sharp jabbed into Adiana's finger. There was a scraping noise as Dean stood up, the chair sliding against the floor.

"Please relax, Dean. I'm just getting some blood." Claudia put a cover back on the small razor's edge she'd used on Adiana's finger. From her other hand, she revealed a small tube that she squeezed at one end to gather up the black blood that had welled up. "I'll drop by in a little while," Claudia murmured distractedly as she held the full tube up to her eyes. She flashed Adiana one last smile before exiting the room.

Adiana nearly put her finger into her mouth to suck the blood away, but she caught herself. She still wasn't completely sure why her blood had changed color and even though it was in her already, she wasn't sure if she should be ingesting the stuff. Besides, that kind of reminded her of Leraie biting into her wrists. Black smeared as she rubbed her fingers together. Maybe there were band-aids in the drawer. She reached out, but her fingers stopped at the edge of the Devil's Trap.

"Could you check if she has band-aids?" Adiana asked Dean. She held up her hand, fingertips towards him. "Just for this. I don't want to get it anywhere." Dean sat down in his chair, which was farther away now. He made no move to help. "Look, Ler – the demon went away, back in my mind or whatever. She was pissed. It's me." Adiana sighed and rubbed her fingers together again. The bleeding had almost stopped anyway. Great, now how was she going to prove that she was herself when Leraie had access to all her memories? Someone knocked on the partially closed door.

"Yeah," Dean called and the door opened. Sam hesitated in the doorway, but when he saw Adiana sitting up, he came in.

"Hi, Sam," she greeted.

"Hey." Sam fell into a second empty chair and looked apologetically at Dean. "Doctor Wyatt's busy downstairs, so I thought Adiana must be awake."

"What's she doing?" Dean asked. Sam shrugged a shoulder, his eyebrows rising slightly.

"Honestly, I don't even know what half of that stuff she has is for."

"Awesome." Dean ran a hand through his hair and yawned. "Well, at least this worked."

"Hey, guys?" Adiana tried to get their attention, but the brothers ignored her.

"Yeah, that's something at least." Sam rested an elbow on the arm of the chair, curling his fingers over the edge.

"Guys, it's me."

"Bobby keeping her company?" Adiana's eyes moved back and forth between Dean and Sam as they continued this line of inane conversation. She was tempted to prod the moody mass that was Leraie, but something told her that the demon wouldn't be of any assistance. At least, she had one thing she had to get off her chest.

"You know, I was actually the last one awake while I was bleeding to death." The Winchesters went quiet. Adiana moved cautiously forward. "Even after the demon. I think she tired herself out by trying to keep me from getting back control of my body. So I was just lying there. I couldn't move or open my eyes or anything, and I was really freaked out. I mean, I knew I was dying." She looked down, spreading her fingers out over the blanket. "So I was listening really hard, hoping I'd hear that someone woke up, but it was just silent. It felt like forever and there was just no sound. I got so tired. I knew it would be over soon. Then I realized that I did hear something." She looked up at Sam. "I heard you breathing. You'd been breathing the whole time of course, but I just thought how weird it was that I didn't even notice.

And then I thought, no it's not really weird at all because it's just that I've gotten used to it. Hearing you breathe at night. Well, when I don't have this one breathing in my ear." She nodded towards Dean with a grin. "And I knew that I'd be okay then because whatever happened, in the time I had here, I found two people who I could be completely comfortable with. So I listened to you breathe until everything just faded. Sam, you told me that you would be there when I needed you. You were. You both were. I love you both. Differently, yeah, but I don't think it counts any less. I understand if you can't trust me, but in case I… I just needed you two to know."

Sam and Dean had both turned to look at her. Only Leraie remained tangled in her own thoughts. At least Adiana felt she had said her piece and was done with it. Yes, it sounded kind of corny, but that didn't make it any less than the truth. She hadn't wanted to die without letting them know, and she wasn't about to put all of her faith into this new doctor that she knew nothing about.

"Adiana?" Adiana set her attention on Sam and she nodded. He stood up from his chair and took the few steps to the side of her bed. All at once the air was knocked out of Adiana's lungs as he hugged her. She winced as her chest twinged, but hugged him back nonetheless. At least, he'd believed her. But she really wished Dean would too.

"Okay Sam." She smiled. "Before you let me go, you've definitely lifted me a few inches off of the bed, so if you could just set me back down. Otherwise I'm going to be in a lot of pain."

"Oh, yeah, sorry." Sam gingerly lowered Adiana back onto the bed, before resuming his place. Dean looked like he was in physical pain, trying to decide what to think. Sam nudged him in the shoulder. "C'mon Dean, you really think a demon could make that up?"

"Man, I don't – All right. If you are the demon, then that was the biggest string of bull I ever heard." Adiana raised an eyebrow.

"And if I'm not?"

"Then… I don't know, babe, I think you need to write the speeches for the next Miss America because that was beautiful."

"The day I get a serious answer out of you." Adiana rolled her eyes, but she couldn't help laughing.

"Well." They all turned around. Claudia was standing just outside the doorframe. "I think that was beautiful, too."


	35. What Makes A Monster

**Many thanks to my reviewers: bonniebeast, Alyssa43, chase83 and Emily Rush**

_An excerpt from the notes of Dr. Claudia Wyatt_

… _Experiment H. Adjust dosage for Subject 6663. Brine at room temp to keep halite intact. Predicted tachycardia & elevated respiratory rate, weakness & severe pain. Possible seizures. Collect blood samples, 10 min intervals for red & black cell count. Cleanse within 30 min. Refer to Subjects 6661 & 6662... _

Adiana had to keep her jaw muscles tensed to suppress a gasp of surprise. How long had Claudia been standing there? Adiana certainly hadn't heard anything. Claudia had just been standing there, watching silently without any attempt to make her presence known. Maybe she just hadn't wanted to interrupt. Claudia swept inside the room, evidently not thrown at all by the sudden silence.

"You must be Adiana. Doctor Claudia Wyatt," she introduced. This time Adiana shook her hand, which made Claudia's smile stretch. Apparently, that small gesture had been enough to prove that it was actually Adiana she was speaking to. "I know you heard me before, but it seems rude not to introduce myself personally."

"Nice to meet you," said Adiana politely. As she took her hand back, she tried flexing her right middle and ring fingers. She noticed that they hadn't curved at all when she shook Claudia's hand. They remained still, probably due to some nerve damage or something. Great. Well, she just had to focus on the bigger things. Like the fact she was alive. "And uh, thanks for saving my life. It was you, right?"

"Yes, it was, but it was no trouble. I am a doctor after all." Her eyes gazed at the ceiling for a moment, recalling a piece of text recited long ago. "'Whatever houses I may visit, I will come for the benefit of the sick.' I took that oath to help."

Dean let out a sound that was somewhere between a derisive snort and a dark chuckle that he immediately choked off. Adiana glanced over at him curiously, but he was looking at Claudia with a tight smile. Sam stared at him with an exasperated frown. Dean shrugged defensively when he caught Sam's eyes, crossing his arms and slouching slightly in his chair as his smile vanished completely. Sam shook his head.

"Well, we're glad you came," Sam said to Claudia, trying to make amends. What that was about, Adiana hadn't a clue but she let it slide. She couldn't really ask while the doctor was standing right there anyway.

"So am I," Claudia returned, not at all bothered. She reached into a pocket with one hand to grab her notebook. "Now, if you wouldn't mind Adiana, I have some questions I'd like to ask you before you're…" She flipped open the notebook, pausing over a page as she thought of a delicate way to word Adiana's situation with the demon.

"Back to being Leraie's life-sized puppet," Adiana finished, having no such qualms. She could have worded it less bluntly, but that's how she felt. But that's not why Claudia was giving her a strange look, she realized. "Her name's Leraie." There was a creaking sound behind Adiana as the Winchesters shifted in their chairs. She could even feel Leraie's focus move outward, drawn from her thoughts by the sound of her name. Only Claudia remained still, watching Adiana with an interested expression. "And I don't think she'll want to come out for a while."

"And why would you think that?" Claudia flipped a few more pages to where she'd tucked in her pen.

"She just-" Adiana shrugged. "-said she was done."

"Done?"

"Yeah. I'm not really sure what that meant. I tried to ask, but she just shut herself off." Adiana absentmindedly stroked a thumb over the bandages on one wrist. "I think you might have upset her somehow. Like I said though, I'm not really sure. It's just a feeling."

"Were you surprised she didn't tell you when you asked?"

"Um, I guess not. It's not like she really shares personal details."

"But you're on a first-name basis."

"Yeah. 'Hey, you' kind of gets wearisome after a while." Adiana grinned, attempting to lighten the conversation a little, but Claudia was scribbling in her notes, not amused. Adiana pressed her lips together, as her fingers spiraled around the bandages.

"You speak often?"

"Well, she is in my head."

"I mean, conversations."

"Oh, um… yeah, sort of." Adiana held up a hand to cover her mouth as she yawned. God, she wished she wasn't tired all the time. "Sorry. I mean, arguments were useless because we were stuck with each other, not to mention exhausting. And no one really talked to her that much, so we were bored. We came to a kind of mutual understanding, I guess. Or I thought we did, until she… you know…" She held up her wrists briefly. Claudia pursed her lips and underlined something a few times, but despite her bland expression, her eyes shone with excitement. It gave Adiana an uneasy feeling. "I guess that's pretty unusual, having a demon in your head that's not constantly trying to push you into a breakdown."

"Well, your situation is pretty unusual, hmmm?"

"That's what everyone keeps telling me. At this point, I'm just glad to still be alive."

"Of course." Claudia checked her watch before slipping her pen between the pages of her notebook and looking up. "Well, I have a few things to check up on, but I do have more questions if you wouldn't mind another chat later?"

"Sure. All things considered, I kind of owe you."

"Excellent." Claudia shoved the notebook back into her pocket and went for the door.

"Doctor Wyatt." Claudia stopped just beyond the doorframe. Her fingers fluttered at her side, twisting and gripping. She turned around, a trace of annoyance in the way her small smile was stretched thin. Adiana hesitated, despite having called out. There was a question that she desperately wanted to ask, but at the same time was afraid of the answer. She took a breath, steeling her nerves. "I'm sure you've been running tests and stuff, so in your medical opinion, do you think… how long…?"

"I think that you need to get some rest, that's what I think. Don't let these boys keep you up." Her eyes flicked to the Winchesters. It was as much a suggestion to Adiana as it was a warning to them. Although it really sounded much stronger than a suggestion. "I'll drop by in an hour or so."

Adiana leaned against the headboard after she left. Claudia's avoidance of her question, for it was clear she had known what Adiana wanted to ask, meant one of two things. Either Claudia had no real guess as to what would happen or she just didn't want to say. Adiana didn't know which she thought was worse. But why would she even know? No one had seen anything like this before, or so she'd been told. Then this woman just swept in out of nowhere. She didn't think Bobby had mentioned her before. If he had, she didn't remember.

"So, who is she?" Adiana tilted her head to look over at Sam and Dean. "A friend of Bobby's?"

"Something like that," said Dean ambiguously.

"And she's also a hunter?"

"She knows her way around."

"She lives close by though?"

"Sort of."

"Sort of? I was bleeding pretty badly. She'd have to live really close, unless she gave you instructions over the phone or something." Sam and Dean gave each other a look, loaded with some kind of quick exchange that Adiana couldn't understand.

"We got lucky."

"I guess so. It's nice of her to stick around." The boys exchanged another look. Adiana frowned, biting on the corner of her lip. These answers were way too vague. And even if she had put it down to Dean to still not being sure it was her speaking, these silent, apprehensive chats of theirs were enough to make her suspicious. "Guys, is there something I should know?" She swore that if they weren't already having some sort of eye tag, they would have traded another look. As it was, Dean just paused before looking at her and smiling. Adiana was not reassured.

"Nope. You're right. It's ah… it's good of her to stick around."

"You should get some sleep, Adiana." It was the first time Sam had spoken since Claudia had first came in. His voice was quiet, and while he was trying, he didn't manage to hide his concern quite as well as his brother. "You look tired."

"Oh, I look tired?" Clearly, this was meant as a distraction, but in truth she did feel very tired. But she was sure that she was nowhere near as exhausted as the Winchesters must be. "I've been asleep for… for…"

"Bout a day," Dean reluctantly finished. "A little more."

"A day. So in the past twenty-four or so hours that I've been solidly out, how much sleep have you two gotten? You know what?" Adiana shook her head slightly. "Forget that. How much sleep have you gotten since I went missing? And I don't mean naps. Those do not count." She didn't need an answer because their silence was enough. "Uh-huh. That's what I thought. Look, I swear to you that I will still be here in twenty-four hours. So I'm going to rest, and you should too. In fact, when I wake up, I don't want to see either of you because if I do…" She cast about for something decent to bargain with and found it. "I'm taking this IV out and I'm not really sure what's in it, but it's probably important. Okay?"

"All right," Sam agreed. The response was so immediate that Adiana really felt like he was just trying to placate her, but hopefully they'd actually try to sleep. It'd be great if Bobby had at least gotten rest while the boys were awake, since he seemed to be the most sensible thus far.

"Awesome." She'd give the Winchesters at least a chance before she had to resort to drastic measures. Probably shouldn't actually rip the IV out, just in case. She shuffled down in bed and lay back against the pillow, closing her eyes.

"_You should have kept pushing about that doctor."_

"Welcome back," Adiana responded, actually surprised to hear Leraie's voice again. "I was under the impression we weren't talking."

"_What? I never said that. But that's beside the point. Something's not right with that doctor."_

"Yes, I figured that much out, thanks."

"_So why didn't you keep pestering the Winchesters?"_

"Because then, they wouldn't sleep. They'd just be worrying about what they were going to tell me."

"_I'll just ask them then."_

"I thought you said you were done?"

"_It's a few questions, and then I'm out." _Adiana focused her remaining energy on the wall in her mind and to her amazement, when Leraie rammed against the wall, it didn't shift. Just a quick flare of dull pain and then nothing. _"You've got to be kidding me." _Leraie tried again to no effect. Adiana couldn't help the smile that twitched at the corner of her lips. _"Yeah, keep smiling Adiana. We'll see who is smiling when Doctor Crazy gets a hold on us." _Adiana ignored her. It felt good to be in control for once, however she managed it, too much not to enjoy it. She held her concentration until they both were worn-out and then drifted off to sleep.

* * *

"But what kind of blood thinner?" Bobby's voice, low and gruff, was the first thing Adiana heard as she came out of the haze of sleep. He was trying to keep quiet, so that she wouldn't wake up.

"Robert, I am getting rather tired of your constant interrogation." It was Claudia's cool fingers that had woken Adiana, tugging her arm out from beneath the pillow. "I've been nothing but patient up until now. I've even injected myself with small amounts of everything I've given her so far just to satisfy you." The fingers lifted away, and there was a thump as Claudia opened the bedside drawer. "May I remind you that it was you who called me, not the other way around?"

"I called to ask some questions. I never expected you to fly half-way 'cross the country."

"And it's a good thing I did or else you'd be down another hunter."

"And you'd be down another guinea pig." The drawer closed loudly.

"Why don't you send one of the boys in here?" Something rough and sticky was being wrapped around Adiana's arm, right over the IV, sending it deeper into her skin. Claudia's voice was calm, but Adiana could feel the tension in her hands from how tightly the substance closed around her arm. "They may not trust me either, but at least they're not rude."

Adiana was continuing to feign sleep, in the hopes that she would learn something more, but when she heard a metal clanging on the IV, she was too unnerved by Bobby's comments not to open her eyes. She blinked a few times, squinting due to the bright light from the lamp.

"Hey, kid. How ya doing?" Adiana looked over towards Bobby's voice. He was sitting in the chair she'd last seen Dean in. She hoped that meant the Winchesters had taken her advice.

"Okay." She pulled her blanket a little tighter. Either it had gotten colder or her fever was back up. "Where's Dean and…" She yawned, moving to cover her mouth, which pinched the needle in her arm causing her to wince. It was medical tape that she'd felt Claudia using to thoroughly attach the IV needle to her arm. They took her threat seriously. Good. "Sam? I tried to get them to catch some 'Z's."

"Well, they seemed very concerned that you might pull out your IV, so they made themselves scarce," responded Claudia. She was holding the tube from the IV in one hand and had a plastic bag of clear liquid in the other, running her fingers along the side of the bag with a satisfactory look. Only the liquid wasn't quite clear, not like the other one had been. There was an element of fog, like a drop of white paint in water. She hung it up on the metal stand. "Although I doubt they're very far. Now, why don't you just shut your eyes and go back to sleep? I'm going to give you a dose of blood thinner and it can be somewhat of an… unpleasant experience."

"I thought you had some more questions?" Adiana had gotten enough sleep and didn't relish the idea of waking up in more pain than she was already in. She'd rather work through it. "That would distract me at least." But Claudia was shaking her head.

"It would be better for you not to be awake," she said firmly, not giving Adiana any room to argue, even if she had wanted to. "I'd give you medication to dull the pain or put you out for a while, but it would interfere." She hooked the tube up to the bag, tilting it to make sure the liquid began to drip. She patted Adiana gently on her shoulder, still keeping an eye on the liquid. "Just sleep."

Adiana felt a prickling in the back of her mind that warned what Leraie was about to do right before it happened. She threw her guard up and felt the demon slam into it. Adiana gritted her teeth, squeezing her eyes shut, so she could focus. Now it just felt like she had a migraine. Leraie thrashed in irritation. She was losing strength, and it made her all the more determined to go out on her own terms.

"_Just give me a minute."_

"Yeah, and then I'll never get my own body back. Would you stop attacking me, please? We might as well crash, so we block out some of whatever's going to happen. Unless you're in the mood for more pain?"

"_Don't tell me you're trusting her."_ The wheels on the IV stand squeaked as Claudia moved it back between the bed and the wall, humming 'Rock-a-bye, Baby' under her breath. _"I mean, she's humming a lullaby to a demon and a grown woman, for crying out loud. That is not the sign of a stable person." _

"Of course I'm not gonna fully trust her, but if Bobby's letting her hook us up, then I'm going to let it happen. And she might be our only shot."

"_Your only shot. If she somehow gets us out of this, I'm worse than hellhound meat."_

"Yes, you've given me an extensive list of what exactly would happen to you." Adiana felt a stinging sensation bloom in her arm and begin to travel up her veins. "So, can we please not make this experience more unpleasant than it's already going to be?" Leraie gave a huffing sound that might have been a sign of agreement. That's what Adiana was going to take it as because her attention was starting to shift as the burning sensation crept up to her chest and flared out over her body.

"_Something's not right." _

"What?" Adiana was clenching her jaw tightly as the pain intensified. There was a squeezing sensation in her heart and a contracting as if it were forced to work harder than it should. The tips of her fingers twitched involuntarily.

"_I can't move."_

"No kidding." Down in her feet, Adiana could feel it. A vibration as her feet moved. She just wanted to curl into a ball. She drew her feet up, bowed in almost the fetal position as every part of her being tensed.

"_I should be able to shift in my consciousness, but I can't. And I feel a pulling, tearing. What is this?" _Adiana was getting a sense of what Leraie was talking about. But it was more like a push where the pain began to center around pinpricks of flesh. The minutes ticked by, each growing more unbearable. Adiana began to breathe more heavily, taking rapid breaths. She couldn't get enough air. She didn't want to panic. The exorcism had been worse, but Leraie's anxiety was melding into her own. Her eyes flashed open.

Claudia had taken a seat next to Bobby, perched on the edge of her chair with her back perfectly straight. She was writing in her notes, between taking quick glances up at Adiana. If she read any of Adiana's distress, she was ignoring it. It was Bobby, watching Adiana closely, who read the worry in her expression.

"You all right?"

"Just hurts and… I'm having a little trouble breathing."

"Is that normal?" The question was directed to Claudia. She held up a finger next to her pen to signify that she would answer once she had finished. After writing a few more sentences, she nodded and got up, setting her notebook down on her chair.

"Her blood's thinning. It's just her heart's reaction to a reduced black cell count." Claudia checked her watch and picked up one small tube and a razor's edge that she'd set aside on the bedside table. With a clinical detachment, she took one of Adiana's arms right above the wrist. It vibrated in her hand, but she managed to make a small cut on the tip of her pointer finger. Black blood streamed out, and Adiana felt a brief release of pressure as Claudia filled the tube. However, that had barely managed to brush her awareness because she was becoming more concerned with the tremors that began to ripple through her. Claudia staunched the blood flow with her thumb and grabbed a band-aid to wrap around Adiana's finger. "Be right back."

Adiana tried to grab Claudia's wrist, to stop her from leaving the room, but she missed because suddenly Leraie was screaming. It rang in Adiana's mind so loudly that she would have clapped her hands to her ears, if only she could have. Claudia looked down at Adiana's feeble attempt to grab her, frowned, and went to make an additional note in her book before leaving. The pain had spread out, digging into Adiana's muscles and pressing at her skin. It seeped into her lungs, which were inflating desperately with each gasp. She was reminded of when she was young and had nearly drowned in a swimming pool.

"Adiana. Hey!" Bobby got to his feet, and he appeared beside Adiana in what seemed to be an impossibly fast timeframe. Or were things just blurring in and out? Leraie was still screaming. She shuddered more violently, arms and legs twitching beyond her control as her head jerked back and forth. A paralyzing fear took hold, and Adiana was losing her focus to a blurring mess of reality. Bobby asked her something, but she couldn't understand anything anymore.

"Mmmmahstop." She could only get the word stop to come out clearly and that's what she wanted. It to stop. And in a way, it did. Her mind went blank.

* * *

Bobby had seen only a few full-on seizures in his lifetime, and that's what it looked like Adiana was going through now. Her body twisted and convulsed, constantly reverberating against the bed and tangling her in the sheets. Her eyelids flickered, eyes rolling up in her head. Breaths came in short, sharp gasps that made her tremble all over. And the strangest part was her veins. While most were fading in color, some in her face and around her hands especially were turning dark as pitch and pushing out against her skin. He would bet anything it had to do with whatever Claudia was injecting her with.

"Claudia!" He had half a mind to call the boys too, but they didn't need to see this. And it would do no good to have them in this small room, panicking. "Blood thinner, my ass." His first instinct was to pull the IV right out, but seeing as he had no idea what the substance was he didn't know if that would just make things worse. All right, think Bobby. Adiana was already lying on her side so there wasn't much more he could do that would stop her from hurting herself. Then what the hell was in that damn medical bag? He grabbed it and looked on both sides, but there wasn't a label, so he cast about the room for something else and saw her notebook. As the pages turned in his hands, he cursed himself silently for ever having called Claudia.

"I heard you call-" Dean couldn't even finish the sentence when he saw Adiana. He was around the bed and crouching down next to her before Bobby even found the most recent page. "Adiana." He reached out and cupped her face in his hands, hard as it was. "Look at me." But her eyes weren't going to meet his. "What's going on, Bobby?" But Bobby was skimming Claudia's latest entry.

"Take that IV out!" Bobby snapped. Dean didn't question it. He snatched Adiana's arm, but the IV was bound with medical tape. He grabbed a jackknife out of his pocket and managed to cut off the tape by using one arm to hold hers in place, though her chest was nearly pressed right up against the blade. He tore the needle out, tossing it aside as blood welled up.

Claudia finally reappeared, spurred by Sam who had been downstairs with her when Bobby called, disgruntled at having been unable to attend to the blood sample she was working with. She took in Dean smoothing a medical patch onto Adiana's arm and Bobby reading her notebook and she drew herself up in indignation.

"What are you doing?" Dean gave her such a hateful look that a lesser woman would have faltered in her steps, but Claudia swept over next to him and attempted to grab the IV. Dean shot up and shoved it hard into the wall so the metal stand tilted and swayed. "Oh, you ruined-" She snatched a tube off of the nightstand, intent on getting another blood sample, but Dean blocked her way, his hands clenched into fists.

"What'd you do to her?" Dean growled. Claudia crossed her arms, tapping her foot impatiently.

"Nothing she couldn't survive. She still has-" She consulted her watch. "-approximately ten minutes. So if you'd let me get- She stepped forward and Dean moved to match her, nearly tripping over Sam, who was sitting on the edge of the bed, one hand pressed to Adiana's back as if it was the only thing he could think of to do. Dean didn't hit women as a rule, but he was really close to making an exception.

"Fix her and then get out," he snarled.

"Let me get my blood sample or she dies. It makes no difference to me." A smile darted across Claudia's face, certain she'd won. Dean hesitated, and the room was filled with only the sound of Adiana's labored breathing. "Tick tock. Ten minutes is only my best guess, you know."

"Just fix her up, Claudia." Bobby snapped the notebook shut. "Unless you want to lose your favorite new test subject." Claudia glared at him and was on the verge of arguing, but instead she snatched the notebook out of Bobby's hand and stalked out of the room. Once she left, Dean's hardened gaze dropped back down to Adiana and some of his strength seemed to leave him then.

"What happened?" Dean asked as he hovered over her, watching as she clawed at the empty air.

"Claudia said she was using a blood thinner, and I was an idjit and believed her. I warned you two something like this might happen, but I didn't think she'd try anything right under our noses. That right there…" Bobby nodded to the bag still attached to the IV. The liquid was still dripping out the needle and onto the floor. "Halite, rock salt in water. We know demons can't cross it. Guess this is what happens when it gets stuck inside one." Adiana's head gave an extra hard shake and blood vessels burst in one of her eyes. It filled with gleaming black right up to the iris, looking almost like a regular demon's eyes. The other eye followed seconds later, taking over the swirling smoke in a sea of black. "This one's on me, boys. I shouldn'ta let it happen."

"You didn't know, Bobby," said Sam. Bobby sighed and sat down.

"I should've. I told you both that Claudia's been known for doing experiments on her patients, so you'd be on alert, but there's something I didn't tell you two because I didn't want ya worrying more than you already are. Claudia was a doctor at a women's prison, and then one day she quits her job and disappears. She turns up a year later in our area, offering to try to treat creatures medically. Then she gets funding somehow, so she is able to pay hunters for some of these creatures to be brought to her. And well, for some other…equipment, I suppose.

Well, one time this hunter Rex Parry fetches her a ghoul, and she has him bring it down to one of these special rooms she's got set up. While he's waiting for her to come back, he sees this one door at the end of the hall that looks heavier than all the others and he gets curious. So he goes to check it. Inside is this werewolf strapped to a table and hooked up to all these machines and tubes. Parry told me it had this weird look in its eyes, kind of helpless, not like any werewolf he'd ever seen. And he said it looked at him like it wanted him to save it, or maybe even to just kill it to put it out of its misery. It gave him a creepy feeling and he left, and that's when he noticed what was really wrong." Bobby paused and looked at the boys. "There wasn't even a full moon." Bobby wiped his hands on his pants, like he wanted to just forget this had ever happened.

"He was curious now, so he went and did some research and he found out who that werewolf was. It was Claudia's own husband. Last trace of him was around the time she quit her job. Maybe she was just trying to save him at first, but well in my opinion, you can't do that to someone you love. Not…for that long."

"You'll be pleased to know then that my husband is no longer with us," Claudia informed them as she moved into the room. Her face was impassive, and she had a large needle in her hand filled with a yellow solution. Her husband was a thing of the past. She had someone, something new to focus on now. "Please hold down one of her arms. This will dissolve the halite." Dean held one of Adiana's arms, having no choice, but to trust a woman that he no longer had any respect for. She ignored the disgust on his face and squirted some of the liquid out of the needle before pressing it under Adiana's skin. "There." With all the solution gone, she withdrew the needle. "No harm done. The subconjuncitval hemorrhaging isn't painful and will go down within ten to fifteen days. As for any other damage, it will be minor due to the short timeframe. So if you'll excuse me, I have to work with the one blood sample I was granted." With that, Claudia turned on her heel and walked out.

"I'll go talk to her," Bobby offered, getting up because he was fairly certain that having Claudia around was no longer going to be an option. The Winchesters were focused on Adiana, who was slowly breaking out of her seizure, so they just nodded and Bobby left them. Adiana's limbs relaxed and her breathing, while rapid even now, was deeper. Her eyes flickered and became less distant.

"Dean?" she murmured in a soft, rasping voice. She gave him a lost look, her hands curling up protectively in front of her chest. She gave her head a little shake, swallowing hard. Somehow, Dean knew it was her.

"Hey, baby." He forced a smile for her. Adiana flexed her trembling fingers, eyes dashing around the room, taking in the tilted IV stand and Sam sitting on the bed next to her.

"What happened? I just remember everything… hurt, and Leraie was screaming." She shook her head again. "Still screaming. I don't know why-" Her eyes widened suddenly and her breathing, which had been calming, increased. "I don't want to see her again." The Winchesters didn't need to ask to whom she was referring. The seizure might have left Adiana's thoughts muddled, but her intentions were clear enough. "Please, Dean."

"You don't have to see her," Dean promised her, and Adiana relaxed. He was more than happy to throw her right out the door. "Hell, I'll get rid of her right now." He touched Adiana's shoulder lightly to reassure her and she jerked back. She pressed her lips together, opening and closing her mouth a few times before she could speak again.

"Sorry," she apologized. "I just-"

"It's okay." Dean withdrew his hand. Probably wasn't the best idea to do anything that might startle her at this point. He looked to Sam, who still managed to keep a comforting hand on her back. Behind the rage that was roiling in his skull, something else wavered and then was gone. "You're gonna…"

"Yeah," Sam answered. "I'll stay."

Dean nodded and then went to follow Claudia and Bobby down to the study. Although it looked less like a study now and more like a laboratory. Claudia had set up equipment everywhere. Machines and tubes and vials and microscopes and lights, all of them scattered over Bobby's desk and taking up at least half of the floor space. There was a constant buzz of electricity over which Claudia was currently explaining the fluid in a short beaker in her hand.

"It was blood thinner." She thrust the beaker out towards him. "You asked, and I told you. You-"

"Alright, party's over," Dean announced. "Get out." Claudia looked at him and set the beaker on the desk.

"You're upset with me." She tilted her head up in indignation. "But it was just one little experiment that I was perfectly in control of."

"Out."

"You need me. You don't want her to die, do you?"

"Okay, you listen to me, bitch." Dean strode across the room until he was standing right in front of Claudia, staring fiercely down at her. "You're not going to touch Adiana ever again. She's not some kind of monster you can use in your sick experiments. So get the fuck out of this house and don't you ever come near her again." Claudia's mouth twisted into an unpleasant frown, her body trembling as if she was resisting the urge to slap him. But then she dropped her gaze.

"Fine." She wheeled around and began collecting her instruments together. "You don't want my help, then that's just fine." She opened a trunk and stacked plastic containers of samples. "She'll just end up like the others, but you enjoy your last few weeks with her." Bobby furrowed his brow and glanced at Dean, who was looking back at him. Bobby shrugged a shoulder to indicate that he had no idea what she was talking about.

"What others?" he questioned. Claudia was checking tubes with drops of blood and then placing them neatly in a case. She didn't answer. "Claudia, what others?" She pointedly ignored him, snapping the container closed. Bobby rolled his eyes. "C'mon Claudia, we need yer help."

"I've seen two cases like this before. Six-six-six-one and six-six-six-two." Dean crossed his arms with a feeling of incredulity.

"And you didn't think to mention that?" Claudia ignored him, running a cloth over a beaker. Bobby shook his head, knowing that they were going to have to be polite from now on. Which was going to be a problem for Dean.

"What happened to them?" Bobby asked instead.

"They died," she said shortly.

"Because of what happened or because of what you did to them?" Bobby grabbed Dean's arm.

"I need to talk to you." Dean let himself be led into the kitchen where Bobby lowered his voice. "I know yer angry with her Dean, and you have every right to be, but yer gonna need to let that go right now."

"Let that go? You gotta be kidding me, Bobby."

"I ain't kidding with you, boy. Now if she's seen this before, then she might know something that could save Adiana. She'll know a hell of a lot more than we do at any rate. I don't like this any more than you do, but right now Claudia's the only person that can help Adiana."

"No way. Not after what she did. I'm not gonna let the woman treat Adiana like she's some rat in a lab."

"I'm not talking about letting her do more of her experiments. I'm talking about getting all the information from her that we can." Dean was stolidly silent. Bobby threw his hands up in frustration. "Dammit Dean. I'm not going to let you watch Adiana die. I won't do it. Been through that when my wife died, and I don't ever want that fer you. Not ever, you understand me?" Dean was tempted to argue, but Bobby didn't bring up his wife. Ever. It had to hurt him something awful to talk about her, bringing up old memories like that, so Dean didn't push him.

"All right. Just info, then she goes."

"Fine by me." They returned to the study where Claudia was busy twisting an extension cord from one of the lights with her back to them. Bobby took a deep breath. "Claudia, we'd really appreciate it if you told us what you can about what's happening to Adiana." When she didn't answer, Bobby nudged Dean with his elbow. Dean's tongue darted across his bottom lip as he refrained from making a spiteful comment.

"Please?" Dean added from between clenched teeth.

"I want a week more with her and freedom to take whatever blood samples I need," Claudia demanded.

"No."

"Her funeral."

"Five days," Bobby amended. Dean threw him an exasperated look, but kept his mouth shut. For Adiana. He had to keep repeating to himself that this was for her. "And not too much blood." Claudia hung the cord around the top of the light and moved onto the next one.

"You're really not in a position to bargain with me." Dean closed his eyes.

"Fine. But you tell us everything we need to know." Claudia glanced over her shoulder, and Dean opened his eyes to hold her gaze. She thought it over and then nodded.

"It's a deal then. Come here, both of you." Claudia opened the trunk she had packed behind Bobby's desk. She pulled out two microscopes and put them under the still-working lamp. "Whatever happens during a standard possession, I'm still working on because medically there are nearly no signs of it. However, in this new kind of hybrid creature-"

"She's not a creature," Dean hissed. Bobby gave him a warning look. Claudia wasn't pleased, but she continued with the air one used when speaking to a petulant child.

"As I was saying, there are many signs. Most notably in their blood stream. Since you're interested in Subje – Adiana, I'll speak in terms of her specifically. For reasons that elude me, when Adiana was possessed, the matter that makes up the demon fused with the red blood cells giving her blood a dark color. They still absorb oxygen, though at a slightly decreased rate, which keeps her alive, but makes her feel sore and weary. It starts in her brain and once this hits her heart, it spreads out through her bloodstream. Unfortunately, since I came at such a late stage, I don't have enough of her normal blood or I could show you this process. However, I can show you this." Claudia carefully set up two slides for the microscopes. "Look. The one on the left is Adiana's from early this morning, and the one on the right is from the blood I used for her transfusion. If you look at the blood from the transfusion, you'll see plenty of red and white blood cells. In Adiana's, the red blood cells have changed, so the white blood cells don't recognize them anymore and are in fact treating them like a virus."

"So, what's the problem?" Dean asked, looking up from the microscope. He felt like he was back in school, and he never really did well with all this science stuff.

"They're losing." Claudia tapped the microscope with Adiana's blood with one long fingernail. "If you looked more carefully, you'd notice that she doesn't have nearly as many. That's where her constant fever is coming from, among other things. The muscle weakness coupled with a low blood count has made her more susceptible to infection. If she has one now, which I believe is very likely, her body can't fight it off. There are treatments for a low white cell count, but I've tried them on the others. They don't work. And if she doesn't die from that, the black cells take in less and less oxygen, which will eventually force her body to shut down completely."

"Is there anything we can do?" Bobby questioned, though the odds weren't looking too good. Claudia tilted her head down, giving him a disbelieving look over the top of her glasses.

"You, no. But me… I have a theory. I haven't tested it because I wanted to find out as much as possible about this condition, so by the time I might have used it…" She shrugged. The subjects had died, but in her eyes, it was for the good of science. She wasn't too bothered. "Well, it is what it is." Bobby and Dean stared at her, but Claudia wasn't forthcoming with her theory.

"And…" Dean pressured her to continue.

"I suppose there's no harm in telling you," Claudia relented. "It's not like you could do it yourselves. So the demon has been fused into the bloodstream, yes? Then to get rid of the demon, you have to get rid of the blood. I'm sure that sounds simple to you, but complete blood transfusions are exceptionally difficult, in fact nearly impossible in adults. Not only that, but you have to get rid of all of the infected blood or risk unknown side effects. How to do it then? Here's my theory." Claudia took out a beaker. She poured a tube of Adiana's blood into the bottom of the beaker. In another larger beaker, she added a cloudy solution. She held that one up.

"This is what I injected Adiana with. Now if I put it in with her blood..." She poured it into the smaller one. The cloudy solution covered the blood, but it did not mix with it. "It's rather like putting oil in water at first look; only if you compressed the two, the oil would be forced, in small bubbles, into the water. The rock salt, however…" Claudia had to dig into the bottom of the trunk in order to pull out a cylindrical rubber disk that had been fused with a small metal rod. It fit snuggly into the top of the beaker. She pushed it down, and it slid until it was just above the layer of rock salt and water and then she pushed hard. There was a creaking sound and hairline fractures appeared in the bottom of the glass.

"See. It won't mix. The rock salt forces the blood away from itself like two magnets with the same poles." Claudia let go of the beaker, one hand red with the effort. "My potential cure is that you inject the subject with enough rock salt that it forces the blood to collect in certain areas. Then, perform a complete blood transfusion by injecting normal blood while draining the infected blood. Of course that makes it exceedingly difficult for the person to breathe for long periods of time."

Dean's head was swimming. The idea made sense, in a really fucked up way, but Claudia had never actually tried it. And he didn't trust her with so much as a band-aid, forget a few needles that would take all of Adiana's blood out of her system. But it could be her one and only chance. Bobby was thinking along similar lines.

"You really think this could work?"

"Potentially. At least, I know the rock salt works and the theory is sound enough." There was a flicker of uncertainty behind Claudia's eyes though, there for only a second and then gone. But it did not bode well for a woman who had been nothing but confident up until now.

"Then, what's the catch?" Dean voiced. Claudia cleared her throat and looked down at the beaker.

"I said it would be difficult to breathe, and well… a standard complete blood transfusion, it… it takes about ten hours."


	36. Trust Me, I'm A Doctor

**For all those lovely people who review: Emily Rush, Elm Treigh, Shorty22133, chase83 and Alyssa43**

Adiana lay on her side, panting. The haze of confusion began to diminish and the burning sensation in her veins was subsiding, but as that feeling diminished, the soreness of her muscles became more acute. It felt as if she'd been through a long work-out of which she had no memory. Only instead of her body crying out in protest, there was a voice echoing in her head. Leraie screaming and screaming.

Over the shrieks, Adiana pleaded for her to stop, but it had no effect. She even reached out for the wall, trying to make her presence as comforting as possible. As she touched it though, all of Leraie's pain flared out and she recoiled. Tears sprang to her eyes in that flash of agony, a choking gasp emitting from her throat. Whatever Claudia had given them, it had torn Leraie apart. Adiana gave her head a soft shake in desperation to do anything to stop those screams. There was a pressure suddenly on her arm. When Adiana looked up, she realized Sam was talking to her.

"What?"

"Are you okay?" Sam repeated with a concerned expression, releasing his grip. "I mean, do you feel like you're going to have another seizure or something?"

"No. No it's-" Adiana paused, furrowing her brow in confusion. "I had a seizure?"

"I think so. That's what it looked like at least. Doctor Wyatt dosed you with rock salt."

"Oh. I guess I blacked out. I don't really remember it… but I do feel better now." Adiana pressed a hand against the mattress in an effort to move just so she could concentrate on something else, but between her fatigue and the damage to her wrists she couldn't make it. She managed about an inch off the mattress and then had to drop back down. "But evidently not better enough to sit up by myself."

"Need some help?" Sam offered, immediately perking up. A light blush of embarrassment spread across Adiana's cheeks. Useless. She was so sick of not being able to do a single thing for herself. Briefly, she considered declining his offer, but Sam was so eager to help that she couldn't very well turn him down. Apparently, she wasn't the only one who had been feeling useless.

"Yeah. That'd be great." Adiana flashed him a grateful smile as she managed to hoist herself up a short way on one elbow. Even then, she was trembling.

Sam was able to guide Adiana upright by placing one hand between her shoulder blades and using the other to support the arm she'd tried to give weight to before. The effort, though minor on her part, made Adiana's heart pound and she felt a surge of nausea. Luckily, that passed away as fast as it had come. Sam rose off of the bed to move her pillow up against the headboard so she could rest against it. It actually did feel better to be sitting up, and Leraie's voice didn't sound so head-splittingly loud.

"Thanks." Adiana coughed, swallowing with a dry click in her throat. She rested her head back against the pillow and shifted so that she was comfortable. Sam nodded and sat back down on the edge of the bed where he'd been before. There was a long pause as Adiana tried to probe Leraie to see if she was faring any better. Her screams had faded away, but Adiana couldn't get through to her, so she turned her attention back outwards. "Good thing I've got you around, because I guess my wrists are still pretty messed up." Immediately, Adiana regretted that comment, because Sam flinched, his face heavy with guilt. They both spoke at once.

"Adiana, I'm really-"

"I shouldn't have-"

"-really sorry. If I hadn't-"

"-said that. I didn't mean-"

"-fallen asleep, this wouldn't-"

"-it like that, Sam."

"-have happened. It's my-"

"No, it isn't. It isn't your fault." Sam stopped talking, taken aback by Adiana finishing his thought before he had spoken it. Adiana shook her head vehemently, until it made her dizzy. "You can't blame yourself for any of this. If anyone's at fault here, it's me for keeping you up and Leraie for trying to kill me. That's it."

"But-"

"No 'but'. I mean it, Sam. You think everything's your fault, and it's not. It's really not." Adiana sighed and ran her tongue over her lips. "I honestly don't know how you walk around with this much guilt. I don't. It amazes me." She shrugged. "And maybe I can't make you stop feeling guilty about everything in your life, but I refuse to let you feel guilty about what happens to me." Sam looked away, and Adiana placed one of her hands over his to draw him back. "Hey. I don't blame you for any of it, so you can't put that on yourself. Even if I – well, you've done all you can."

"It's just…" Sam tapped his foot against the floor, while his eyes searched for the right words before meeting hers again. "I made you a promise, and I should've kept it."

"You did."

"No, I didn't. I wasn't there when you needed me."

"You're still here, aren't you?" Adiana patted her free hand over her legs. "And I'm still here last I checked. You didn't break your promise. So please, for me, would you please, at least, try not to be so hard on yourself?" Sam hesitated, not wanting to lie, but also knowing that she was asking something that would be very hard for him to do. And she was aware of it, too. Adiana waited patiently though, and eventually Sam nodded.

"All right. If it makes you feel better."

"It does. Thank you." Adiana leaned forward, feeling relieved and at the same time hoping she wasn't going to fall over, and gave Sam a kiss on the cheek. Only one more piece to take care of, but that would have to be dealt with later. She hastily moved back against the headboard before she lost her strength, and at the same time someone cleared their throat in the doorway. Sam looked uncomfortably down at the floor, withdrawing his hand from under Adiana's, as Dean strode over to the bed. Dean ignored that and smiled down at Adiana, although there was something… off in his expression.

"Do I get one, too?" he asked smoothly. Adiana cocked her head, trying to read more in his face but couldn't.

"Considering you threw that doctor out, you can have whatever you like. After you tell me what's wrong."

"Wrong?" Dean scoffed. "Nothing's wrong. Everything's… awesome."

"Seriously, Dean." Adiana glanced at Sam when Dean didn't answer, but he seemed as clueless as she was. "What did Doctor Wyatt threaten to mail you when you kicked her out? Anthrax?" Dean tore his eyes away from her. Adiana frowned in puzzlement, but then she thought she understood. "She's still here, isn't she?" Dean rubbed a hand across his forehead.

"Yeah. She's down with Bobby."

"Why?"

"Because… because she thinks that she can fix you up."

Adiana had anticipated many reasons why Claudia would still be around, but this wasn't one of them. Shock left her stunned and speechless. A cure? Of course, she hoped that the Winchesters would find something that could help, but she hadn't expected it to fall right into their laps or that it would be medical. It seemed almost impossible, and the fact that it was Claudia didn't make Adiana feel that hopeful. Then again, if Dean was considering this, then she should probably hear things out.

"How?"

"Well, she said she had two other patients or whatever that were like you—"

"What?" Sam interrupted angrily. "And she didn't think that was something we'd like to know?" Dean held up a hand.

"Save it. I've already gone over that bridge." Dean dropped the hand. "Anyway, from…studying them and you, she said that the demon's in your blood. That it's attached to you, and that's making you sick. So she thinks that if she took out all your blood and replaced it with new juice from the bank, that'd get rid of the demon." Adiana stared at him.

"That's it?"

"Yeah. She had samples and stuff. That's just the 'Science for Idiots' version."

"But did it work before, with the others?"

"She never got that far." A tinge of fear crept into Adiana's breast. So they had died, that was clear. It only confirmed what everyone had already guessed, but it was still hard to hear. She crossed her arms over her chest. But at least if there were others, it was possible Claudia might actually know what she was talking about.

"How sure is she that this is going to work?" Sam asked cautiously. Dean shrugged.

"Pretty sure, but we'd be taking her word on that."

"And if it didn't work?" Dean kept his mouth shut, but that was all he needed to do and then they knew. Adiana weighed her options, not that she had many. She looked to Sam.

"What do you think, Sam?" Sam's shoulders were tensed in agitation, his eyes troubled. He was weighing the options as she was and had found both sides lacking.

"I don't know, Adiana. It's not like we can really trust Doctor Wyatt, but on the other hand, we can't afford not to trust her either." Sam set his hands on his knees and got up from the bed. "I need to talk to her."

"Go for it," said Dean, tilting his chin to gesture Sam towards the door. "Make sure she shows you all the freaky blood tubes." He called as Sam left, pulling the door almost completely shut behind him.

"Sit." Adiana patted the bed next to her, opposite of the spot Sam had just vacated. "You're going to make me nervous if you just stand there." Dean obliged and sat, though the tension in his body hardly lessened.

Adiana stared at the faded pattern on the quilt between them. She didn't like Claudia one bit, not after what she had done, and she would have to trust her with what seemed to be an extremely delicate and dangerous operation. Besides, the doctor was more interested in what was happening with Adiana medically than her genuine well-being. So perhaps she'd be interested in finding the cure. So that if there was a next time…and Adiana shuddered for that poor soul, Claudia could administer it when she wanted. If, of course, it worked at all. If not, it would be back to square one.

"That demon isn't gracing you with her opinion?" Dean's question, sarcastic yet with an edge of curiosity, threaded through Adiana's thoughts.

"She's indisposed at the moment," Adiana answered distantly. "The rock salt did something terrible. I'm not really sure what." As she thought about Leraie, some of the demon's words drifted back to her.

'_You want to torture them like this for weeks… as they practically kill themselves trying to save you?' _ If she didn't try this potential cure, it was back to watching the Winchesters race to try to beat the clock in an effort to keep her alive. If she agreed and the procedure was performed, there were three potential outcomes. First, there was no effect. Second, it worked. Third, it made her worse and possibly killed her. But if the worst were to happen, at least she would go out on her own terms and it would be sooner rather than later. Look at that, she thought grimly, Leraie's reasoning had been right up to a point.

Adiana looked up and found that Dean was watching her intently. He was worried, more so than before, but she wouldn't have noticed if she hadn't known him well. It showed in the small creases in his forehead and the way he kept his whole body still, except his fingers, which twitched with nervous energy. But he must have been able to see that she had come to some conclusion, for even his hands stopped moving.

"I'm going to let Doctor Wyatt do what she wants." Dean nodded, turning his gaze away, his shoulders slumping. He didn't appear the slightest bit relieved.

"I thought you might."

"You don't agree?"

Dean shrugged. "Not my decision."

"That's not what I asked. What do you think?" Adiana tilted her head forward, eyes pleading for Dean to just say something, hating when he remained stoically silent. "Dean, I really need you to talk to me right now."

"I don't know! I don't know what to think," Dean snapped. Adiana slumped back against her pillow. The roughness of his tone stung her. This wasn't something that was easy to discuss, but she valued his opinion most. Dean turned his gaze towards her, his guilty expression so reminiscent of Sam that Adiana was taken aback by the play of emotion over his face. "I'm sorry, babe. It's just this whole thing's got me…" He wasn't even going to try to describe exactly what he was feeling, so he made an effort to answer her question instead.

"Every instinct tells me not to trust that doctor. I mean, that bitch is a grade-A psycho. If we had any other leads, hell, I'd get you as far away from her as possible, but… she's all that we got. Her idea, when she explained it, sorta made sense. It might work. If she could guarantee that you wouldn't – then I'd want you to try, but she can't. And this blood-thing, she said it would take ten hours. That's a long time not to screw anything up, but if she didn't screw up and she was right, then this could save you. Like I said, I don't know what to think. All I know is that I almost lost you once, and I can't let it happen again."

"Okay." Adiana nodded. Her back left the pillow as she bent forward and wrapped her arms around Dean's neck, hugging him gently. She could smell his aftershave, fainter than usual, and the salty tang of sweat on his skin, as her face was pressed against his neck, taking steadying breaths. "Okay. Then, I'll just have to make it through this operation." His arms enclosed her waist, and she could feel him shaking. Determination swept over Adiana, and she tightened her hold on him, despite the soreness in her arms. She'd just have to fight to stay alive. She had read once that that mentality could make all the difference. "Will you stay with me through the whole thing?"

"'Course I'll stay."

"Well, that makes me feel a little better." Adiana loosened her grip so that she could look up at Dean and smile. It was her turn to be the brave one, and she'd be damned if she was going to let him down. Dean returned her smile, and while all of his anxiety hadn't gone away, it gave him a small reprieve to see Adiana looking stronger and more determined than she had in weeks. Their lips had only just touched when someone knocked on the door. Adiana gave a muffled sigh and turned her head.

"Come in." Sam pushed the door open and walked in. His eyes had a slightly glazed-over appearance that had no doubt come from a long, medical discussion with Claudia.

"Worst timing," Dean muttered, so only Adiana could hear. She grinned, but she was sympathetic to anyone who had to spend a prolonged time talking to Claudia.

"How'd it go?"

"I don't know," Sam said. He squeezed his eyes shut and opened them again, trying to clear his thoughts. "I thought that'd help, but I think she just made things worse. And Bobby just said that you should decide."

"Well, I decided I'm going to do it so you can stop giving yourself a migraine."

"Really?" Sam looked between Adiana and Dean. "And you're on board with this?" Dean gave him one quick nod.

"Gotta give 'em what they want, Sammy. That's why you suck with chicks." Sam narrowed his eyes at his brother. Adiana rolled her eyes. She gave Dean a light playful shove that nearly resulted in her falling over. She almost giggled at how fast both boys dove for her, but they were so concerned that she couldn't.

"I'm fine," she assured them, as Dean helped her sit back against her pillow. "My body is just not cooperating at the moment."

"Okay, then…" Sam had backed off when it was clear that Dean had Adiana in his arms, but he wanted to do something useful nonetheless. "Should I get Doctor Wyatt?"

"Yes – No!" All of a sudden, Adiana remembered something she needed to do, and it had to be now in case this was her last chance to be alone with the Winchesters. "Um… Sam, why don't you grab one of those chairs and bring it over here?" Adiana gestured to the two chairs on the opposite side of the bed from Dean. Sam and Dean stared at her in bewilderment, but Sam went to take the chair. "Actually, maybe you should just sit there. Might be a good idea." Sam glanced at Dean, who shook his head to imply that he had no idea what was going on either. Only Adiana knew that things were about to get a lot more awkward. Slowly, the younger Winchester sat in the chair. "So earlier I told you I didn't want you feeling guilty about anything to do with me, right?"

"Uh, yeah."

"Right, so, I think you should tell Dean." Sam tilted his head, frowning in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"You know what, Sam. You're smart. Think about it." Sam looked at her, and when he realized what she meant, his eyes widened and he immediately straightened up in agitation, clutching his fingers into fists.

"Here? Right – right now?"

"Yup. I think you'll feel less guilty if you tell him."

"Maybe, but… but now?"

"When otherwise? If anything happened to me, you wouldn't tell him at all, and I think it's better if I'm here to smooth things over."

"Enough," Dean interrupted, not having enough patience to watch Adiana and Sam dance around the point. "Sam, what is she talking about?" Sam couldn't meet his brother's eyes. His face was hot with embarrassment, and he seemed to be trying to sink into the floor.

"Don't make me pull the 'last wish' card, Sam, because I will." Adiana knew that was a terrible thing to say, but she was sure that it would get Sam to tell the truth. And she was right. Still not looking up, Sam reluctantly revealed the secret he'd been keeping.

"Dean I… I sort of, kind of have – have…" He stumbled on the next word, his tongue flicking nervously over his lips as he forced himself to finish the sentence. "…feelings for Adiana." It was so quiet that they could hear the sound of Claudia's medical equipment from the floor below. Now that he'd gotten that much out and still afraid to meet Dean's eyes, the rest came out in a rush. "It's nothing serious. Well, I mean, it's not – I'm not in love with her or anything. It's just – Look, I'd never try anything. I swear. Ever. It's just that – It's just-"

"-that she's hot and you haven't gotten laid in like two years," Dean finished. That's when Sam looked up, wincing as if he had expected the worst. Adiana, who had been watching Dean carefully, was equally thrown. Considering everything that had happened during the episode with the trickster, she had anticipated having to keep Dean from tearing apart half the room. Instead, she found that he was weirdly calm.

"Uh… well, I don't know if that's it exactly," Sam said slowly, not wanting to push his luck by disagreeing, "but uh, something like that."

"Huh." Dean frowned thoughtfully and turned quizzically to Adiana. "How'd you find out?"

"Well, I sort of guessed a while ago," Adiana replied. This was so not the way she had pictured this playing out. She felt like she was in the Twilight Zone. "But he blurted it out after I tripped on that bottle of shaving cream and fell in his lap. I asked him not to tell you after you flipped over that table. You are taking this way too well. Did you know already?"

"'Course I knew. Sammy's never been good at hiding the fact he's got a thing for a girl. What. you think that you'd notice and I wouldn't? Now, that hurts."

"But, I thought you'd at the very least grill us to make sure nothing else went on."

"If it did, wouldn't Sam have to tell me because of this whole 'guilt' thing?"

Adiana, still unsure, narrowed her eyes. "Yeah."

"There you go."

"But you're okay with this?" Sam confirmed, still disbelieving.

"'Okay' wouldn't be the first word I'd use, but I'll live with it. Besides, with two years?" Dean let out a low whistle. "I don't know how you're not jumping on every half-attractive chick you see."

"I don't know if I should be offended by that or what," commented Adiana, pursing her lips.

"Me either," Sam seconded. "But I'm gonna take it. Should I get Doctor Wyatt?"

"Yes. For real this time."

"Sammy." Sam stopped at the door and looked back at Dean who wore a deadly serious expression. "If you touch her, I will end you."

"Understood," Sam managed, before escaping through the door. Dean smirked in satisfaction and returned his focus to Adiana. Her lips trembled as she fought a smile.

"You'll end him?"

"Just gotta make sure he understands the golden rule. But hey, it's not like I can blame the guy. If I had to live with someone as sexy as you while I was horny, it'd be torture. We need to get him laid."

"Uh-huh. I'll put it at the top of my to-do list between making it through this transfusion and skydiving." Adiana tugged on the unraveled edge of the bandage wrapped around one wrist. There was a chance, and a big one, that Dean was just putting up a front for her, because of the blood transfusion. Or he was willing to let this go for the same reason. Or he actually didn't mind. As long as it was nothing more than a harmless crush, Dean really wasn't the jealous type. She'd never know for sure.

"If you plan on jumping out of a plane, you're on your own." Dean caught Adiana's hands between his, stopping her from further unwinding the bandage. It had loosened considerably. Beneath the gauze, jagged edges of pink and purple skin stuck out. Her body was slowly healing, but there was no doubt that there would be scars.

"Nah. You'd be there for me." Adiana grimaced as Dean tightened the bandage back up. Although he was trying to be gentle, the skin was tender.

"I'm not ever stepping into one of those death-traps again."

"I didn't say in the plane. You'd be waiting on the ground 'cause you're always there to catch me when I fall." Dean finished tying up the end of the bandage and looked up.

"This moment was brought to you by the Hallmark channel, where-"

"Just shut up and kiss me," Adiana laughed. Dean gave her a roguish wink.

"Yes ma'am." This time there was no knock on the door to break them apart, when they kissed. Instead, the door just flew open and in swept Claudia, brimming with excitement.

"You've made the right choice, Adiana." Either Claudia didn't notice that she'd interrupted or she simply didn't care. Adiana guessed it was the latter. "I'm so glad you saw sense."

"Thanks for knocking," Dean growled.

"What was that?" Adiana put a hand on Dean's arm to keep him from answering. She was just as irritated, but it wouldn't help to make Claudia upset with them.

"Nothing. He's just nervous about this transfusion. How soon can we get started?"

"My, aren't we an eager beaver? I can perform the transfusion as soon as we get back to my estate."

"Your estate?"

"Of course. That's where all my medical equipment is. I just brought the essentials with me. Just wanted to check in with you before I started packing." Claudia patted Adiana's shoulder, and Adiana was reminded of a similar gesture right before the rock salt had begun to burn through her. "But now that I'm sure you're on board, I'll start packing right away. It's a long drive back up to Maine."

"Maine?" Adiana tried to guess at the time it would take to drive from Maine down to Bobby's in South Dakota. It was at least a day's drive. "How did you get here in time to stop me from bleeding to death?"

"Oh, I just happened to be around. Lucky for you." Dean had said the same thing earlier, and there was still something that didn't ring true. The only explanation that Adiana was able to come up with was that Bobby had called Claudia earlier and she had come in the hopes of getting to observe another patient. It would be weird and kind of creepy, but that seemed to fit the doctor. Adiana simply nodded, not allowing her thoughts to be read on her face.

"Yeah, I guess so. All right, let's go to Maine."

It took just over four hours to neatly pack Claudia's "essentials" in her gleaming, latest model SUV. Adiana spent a good portion of that time trying to contact Leraie to no avail. In a way, this made things easier. The demon couldn't fight back or argue. Yet Adiana found it unnerving to have a presence just hovering silently in the back of her mind. That was not a fate she would want for herself.

When it was time to leave, Adiana's legs were so weak from pain and lack of use that she needed Dean to support her while she walked. He suggested carrying her, but Adiana insisted that she could do it. She wanted to show them that she intended to be walking again after the transfusion. Put on a brave face. Pretend that nothing bad could happen. She owed the Winchesters that much, at least.

Claudia required that Adiana ride in her car. Since she was losing time that could be spent interviewing her "subject", she would try to make up for some of it during the drive. No one was thrilled with the idea. All three of the men fought back, insisting that Adiana would be tired and, more importantly, who would want to spend their possible last day discussing the thing that could get them killed? Not that anyone said it that directly. Finally, Adiana got so fed up with everyone trying to make decisions for her that she agreed to Claudia's demand. Although once Claudia was out of earshot, she admitted it was mostly because she didn't want to piss off the woman who'd lately been sticking her with needles.

Terrible would have been an understatement. The nearly thirty-hour car ride was agonizing. The moment they got in the car, Claudia pulling out a recording device and placed it on the seat beside her so that it could pick up both her questions and Adiana's answers from the back seat, where she was sitting with Dean. She asked about what happened while Adiana was kidnapped, and how she felt during the possession and the exorcisms and on and on. Adiana talked until she started losing her voice. Claudia responded by picking up a case of water bottles at a rest stop to keep her speaking. Adiana's one relief was having Dean in the car. He acted rather like a lawyer during a trial, making sure that she got breaks and objecting to any overly personal questions that Claudia asked. Though admittedly, if a lawyer ever spoke like he did, they'd be fired on the spot. Adiana didn't mind one bit. She really didn't feel the need to answer questions such as how being possessed might have altered her sexually desires.

At last, Claudia pulled up to her estate. It was two acres, comprising a large mansion and a sprawling, perfectly manicured lawn. The whitewashed building rose up four stories and descended unseen below the ground for another two. The edges of the building were sharp and simple, very modern. It must not have been built that long ago. Claudia directed her car into a garage, where there was an open spot for Sam to park the Impala.

"Welcome to my home," Claudia announced as they all came out of the garage and into a large entrance hall. High above them hung a black iron chandelier with colorful Venetian glass bulbs. The walls were as white as the exterior of the house. On them hung a few modern paintings, all cased behind glass and a neat black frame. Hallways led off in every direction with a staircase against one wall that went up to the next floor. "This way, please."

"It's very nice," complimented Adiana out of politeness as Claudia led them down one of the hallways.

"Thank you, dear. Perhaps I could give you a tour once you're well."

"That'd be great." Adiana had absolutely no intension of sticking around once she was herself again. In fact, she never wanted to so much as get a glimpse of Claudia ever again.

"Here we are." They had passed into a living room. Black leather couches and chairs were set around a flat-screen television that took up half of a wall. The opposite wall was hidden behind an asymmetrical bookcase, bursting with leather-bound books. They were the only old things Adiana had seen so far and were the only colorful part of the room. At least the wall in front of them was glass, so that it showed the green of the lawn and the trees beyond. "I think you'll find this much more comfortable than a hospital waiting room."

"Waiting room?" Sam repeated.

"Whoa, we're not waiting here," said Dean, his voice overlapping his brother's.

"Well, you can't come with us," Claudia told them firmly.

"Why not?" asked Bobby.

"For the same reason you can't go in the operating room of a hospital. It's both distracting and dangerous." While Adiana had no desire to have anyone see her suffering through a seizure for hours on end, she would feel a lot better with someone in the room she felt she could completely trust. Fortuitously, an idea had formed in her mind.

"Do you have anyone to help you with the transfusion?"

"No." Claudia actually sounded offended at the very idea. Perfect. There was her loophole.

"So, shouldn't you have at least one other person in the room with you? I mean, I'm sure that you can do the procedure yourself, but since you've never tried it, you might need some medical instruments from another room. Then, they could get it for you."

Claudia considered it. She was used to working alone, which is what Adiana had counted on. But her point was sound, and ten hours was a long time during a delicate procedure. Also, Claudia had a feeling that things were not going to go too well for her, if she failed at this particular experiment.

"Only Dean, then. I assume it is you who will be coming?" Dean nodded, one arm wrapped protectively around Adiana's shoulders for support since her legs remained unable to completely bear the weight of her body.

"Wouldn't miss it."

"All right. Sam and Robert, you're welcome to anything in the kitchen. It's a left out this door, take a right and then the third door on your right. The lavatory is out this door to the right and two doors down. Adiana and Dean, if you'll just follow me. I had some of my people leave the blood out to get to room temperature, so we really should get moving." But Adiana couldn't go without a goodbye.

"Thanks for everything, Bobby." Adiana shuffled a few steps forward on her own. Bobby tried to shake her hand but she ignored it. Instead, she gave Bobby a hug, which after a moment of surprise, he returned.

"Good luck, kid." Adiana turned to Sam next. He was clearly not happy at all about being left behind to wait. His eyes were dark with worry that he couldn't conceal and even with an effort he wasn't able to force a smile.

"Guess there's no need for me to be anxious. You've got enough concern for the both of us, as usual," joked Adiana with a reassuring smile that held more bravado than she felt. Sam pulled her into a hug, holding her like he would never see her again.

"Just…just come back, okay?"

"I will." Adiana patted him lightly on the back as she hugged him. "But you gotta let me go first." So Sam did.

Claudia lead Adiana and Dean away from the living room to a back study and then down a set of hidden stairs to the first underground level. Another white hallway, but this one had tile floors and large steal doors. Adiana didn't dare to look into any of the rooms with windows and thankfully there were no sounds from behind them.

The room Claudia had selected for the experiment was about the size of an operating room. In the center was an operating table with a tall electric light hanging above it. IV stands had already been set up, and there was a table with a tray of needles and other shining instruments. A lengthy counter lay along one wall covered in IV packets that had been arranged in orderly rows. Some had the rock salt mixture in them, while others were filled with blood. Even more blood was being kept cool in containers marked with the hazard symbol. There were also many closed steel cabinets and a wide sink sat beneath one of those, right next to another door.

Seeing all of this right in front of her, fear suddenly slammed into Adiana like a wall. She could die here. She could really die here. Instinctively, she moved closer to Dean. She was shaking and her stomach twisted unpleasantly. Bile rose in her throat that she swallowed down heavily to keep from heaving it up.

"You don't have to do this," Dean murmured, moving his hand up and down over her shoulder. "Adiana, I'll get you out of here right now."

"No. No, I want to do this." Not only was she convincing him, but Adiana had to remind herself of that too.

"I need you to take a quick shower to make sure you're clean," Claudia stated, opening one of the cabinets. "It's right behind that door over there. Dean won't be able to touch you once you come out, so if there's anything you feel you need to do…" Adiana looked up at Dean, her eyes wide and frightened and he leaned down and kissed her.

"I love you," he said softly, his lips brushing up against hers. And with just that, some of her courage came back. She looked into his eyes and smiled.

"I love you, too." Claudia appeared next to her, impatiently holding out a towel. Adiana nearly jumped. Moment over. She gave Dean one final, brief peck and then grabbed the towel. "Do I get a robe or something?"

"No. Since the blood will need to be collected for various veins all over your body, you can't be covered."

"Ah." Just great. Adiana shuffled over to the door, which Dean opened for her. "I can take it from here. Thanks, Dean." The room behind the door consisted only of the one shower. There was a nozzle above, but there were other holes on two of the shower walls and a large drain in the floor. Restraints were bolted to one of the walls, and again Adiana felt that surge of nervous energy. She placed the towel on a shelf outside the shower and stripped out of her clothes. There was only a button for the shower, and when Adiana pressed it, cool water streamed from the two walls and shower head. No way to make the water any warmer. She stepped beneath the water, shivering under the cold water.

"_Adiana." _Adiana let out a squeak that would have been a scream if she hadn't cut it off. She hadn't expected to hear Leraie's voice after the long silence, but there it was. Now, it was different though. It sounded as if she was calling from the other side of a football field. _"What's happening?"_

"We're at Doctor Wyatt's house." A tired pause.

"_Why?"_

"She thinks that if she drains all my blood, then you won't be inside me anymore."

"_And what – would happen to me?" _

"She didn't say. Do you want me to find out?"

"_No… it is better this way. I think I would die if – your blood cells die." _

"Oh." Adiana closed her eyes, rubbing her hands over her body to keep warm. "She had rock salt in that IV before."

"_That would explain why – it feels like I have been – torn into pieces." _

"I… I'm sorry that I didn't listen to you." This pause was longer, but Leraie seemed a bit more present.

"_I cannot remember the last time – someone has apologized to me freely – and meant it." _

"Yeah well, don't get used to it or anything. It's just that you were right."

"_I know." _Leraie chuckled faintly._ "It's just that I was one of the Grand – Marquis down in Hell. You think demons and trapped souls would – be tripping all over themselves to constantly apologize – but they don't. Although I suppose – it might be because I was the only female. – Our politics are very similar – to yours here in America I think."_ It was Adiana's turn to grin.

"I guess so." Adiana pressed the silver button again and the water shut off. She grabbed the towel and started drying herself off. "This is probably goodbye for good this time."

"_We can hope. For what it's worth – I can say that I've never possessed such an interesting person."_

"For what it's worth, I've never been possessed by such an awful demon." Leraie's laughter echoed in her head as Adiana dropped the towel to the floor and opened the door.

Claudia had put medical scrubs on over her clothing and waited expectantly next to the surgical table. Dean stood a ways back from the table, since there were no scrubs for him, but Claudia had made him put on gloves and a mask to cover his mouth. The cool air nipped at Adiana's exposed skin, raising goose bumps. She padded over barefoot to the table.

"Just get up right here and lay down," Claudia instructed through her own mask. Her voice was muffled, but Adiana understood. She hoisted herself up onto the table with what little strength was left in her arms and lay back, having to squint in the bright light above her. "Now I'm going to have to do these restraints, since I can't have you falling off the table during your seizures." Adiana lay still as Claudia tightened resistant fabric restraints around her arms and legs, trying not to panic. "Turn your head to the side." Adiana complied. "Good." Claudia attached a heart monitor to Adiana's chest and started preparing one arm for the rock salt IV. "I'm going to have to have to perform a simple procedure toward the end that will remove the blood from your eye. Just a few needles, nothing to worry about. By that point, I should be able to give you sedatives, so you won't wake up or move. I am telling you this, because when you wake up, you will not be able to open your eyes without doing any damage. It will be difficult, but please try to remember not to open your eyes."

"Okay." Claudia hung a bag of the rock salt-water mixture up on the IV stand and attached the needle.

"I'm ready to start. This will be painful and it will be very hard to breathe, but I'm fairly confident that you'll live through it." Adiana peeked over at Dean for reassurance and took a deep breath.

"Then, let's go." The familiar burning crept in right away, and Adiana braced herself for the shooting pain that would soon follow.

"_Adiana." _

"Yeah?"

"_You wanted to know why the demon – you call Yellow-Eyes is after you and – the creature that brought you here."_

"Yes, and—" Her heart jumped and contracted tightly. "—who she is."

"_I will not tell you that. It is – too much. But I can tell you the rest because I am surprised you have – not guessed it already. That creature can – jump between the parallel universes. It is the only creature that can – well apart from one other, but they are – less easy to trap. But it – needs you to get back. So he – needs you too." _Adiana could feel her limbs beginning to twitch, and the ends of Leraie's words were trailing off.

"You told me Hell extended into all universes."

"_Yes but the rules are not – the same. Demons do not rise there – as they do – here."_

Adiana frowned in thought. "So what would he do in my universe?"

"_The same – as he wants to do here."_

"Which is?"

"_Sam will find – that out soon enough. That – is all I will tell you." _Adiana struggled to keep a hold on her thoughts as agony blurred their edges.

"Why are you telling me any of this now?"

"_Think of it as – my parting gift – for being an entertaining – host." _Another needle pricked Adiana's arm above the restraint. Leraie shuddered, bouncing off the shared wall. Adiana knew that she wouldn't offer anything else, so she let the demon go and focused all of her attention into one thought, as she started to burn.

I will live.

* * *

Claudia watched Adiana's eyes flutter and roll into the back of her head, and she knew that the young woman would not remember anything more. Her skin was clammy and pale, nearly as white as the walls except where the black demon blood gathered. Most of it had been pushed to the very end of Adiana's limbs, but more gathered around where the restraints dug into her body as she writhed on the table. Her heart rate had increased dramatically, a constant beeping bouncing off the polished surfaces of the room.

The first three hours of the experiment were the most dangerous. Adiana was getting much less oxygen, starving her muscles of what they needed. Over time, this could lead to muscle failure, permanent brain damage or much worse. Once she was given enough normal blood, which could circulate easily with the rock salt solution, her respiratory rate should fall back to normal. When her blood ran clean, then Adiana would be safe. That was the theory.

Claudia had one blood drip stuck into Adiana's neck where the halite had cleared most of the other blood away. There was a needle deep in a black vein on Adiana's arm, removing blood at the same rate that it was going in. That was important so as not to send the subject into shock. It was a slow process, but faster than the matter that made up Leraie could take over the new blood. Claudia felt soothed by the repetitive nature of her experiment. Move needle. New IV. Black blood in the freezer cabinet. New blood on the stand. More halite. Again and again. She was alert for any drastic changes, but there would be time to review this case later. She did have hidden cameras placed in all the rooms.

After the fifth hour, Adiana's breathing slowed and by the eight it was close to a standard adult rate. Her seizures had decreased to tremors. Soon enough, Claudia undid the restraints and had to search for any surface where black blood was visible. She'd been finding a lot more red. At just under ten and a half hours, Claudia was taking pinpricks of blood to make sure all the black had been removed. When she was confident in this, she administered a solution which would dissolve the rock salt so that it wouldn't leave any lasting damage. All that was left of Leraie swirled behind Adiana's closed lids.

From over in the corner, Claudia brought a piece of equipment used during all eye surgeries. Part of it was a metal head clamp with soft edges that would keep Adiana's head absolutely still. The other piece consisted of small hooks that would hold her eyes open. Claudia turned Adiana's head and set everything in place so her gleaming black eyes were staring blankly at the light above her. She held a mask over Adiana's mouth, letting her breathe in the anesthesia that would keep her still.

Satisfied that Adiana wouldn't be moving any time soon, Claudia wheeled over a microscopic device that would allow her to see everything clearly. Delicately, Claudia cut a tiny slit on the side of her right eye. She inserted an infusion line to keep the eye pressure constant. Next, she inserted a light pipe into the vitreous fluid of the eye, illuminating the shining pupil and the tiny veins. Gradually, Claudia pressed a long, thin needle into the eye. When it was in place, she turned on the machine it was attached to. It hummed as it sucked away all of the fluid. Once that was done, Claudia refilled the eye with a saline solution and stitched the three openings shut. The second eye received the same treatment, after which Claudia released Adiana's eyelids from the hooks. They slid shut and Claudia spread a clear solution over the crack between them that would ensure they would stay closed if Adiana tried to open them, unless she pulled very hard.

Completely finished, Claudia crossed her arms and admired her work. She felt exhausted and her joints were stiff but she hadn't made a single mistake. That she knew of. Despite her fatigue, she thought she would be spending several more hours awake, examining the demon blood. Claudia looked up and gave a start when she saw Dean across the table. He'd stayed out of her way and silent the whole time to the point that she had forgotten he was there. Dean's face was nearly as pale as Adiana's, his eyes distant as he stared down at her. He looked like a man who had been suffering for hours, left completely drained.

"How long until she wakes up?" His voice was thick behind the mask. Claudia looked down at Adiana's face.

"It's two hours until the anesthesia wears off, but I can't say when or… if she'll wake up."


	37. Til' Then, Sleeping Beauty, Sleep On

**For my beautiful & persistent reviewers: chase83, Abbywriter, Emily Rush, Dean's Racy Ally, bonniebeast, Alyssa43, Carver Edlund, MoonVX, Mojo, marianasgirl, FortitudoPhoenixo, Jessfairy88, XKaterinaNightingaleX, Lyndi, Cullenbabe1231, PrinceFang and 1llu510n **

The room was dim, but the light coming through the curtains was enough to make out Adiana's face. She lay in a large bed, her eyes closed tight and sealed behind a sleep mask. They had not opened for over three days. Thick covers moved up and down as her chest rose and fell with each deep breath. A heart monitor beeped slowly and steadily in a corner. A painted wooden chair had been pulled up next to the bed. In it, Dean was asleep. He was slumped back, his head turned to the side and resting on a shoulder. The dark blotches had formed under his eyes since he had not been sleeping enough, but really no one had. One of his hands was unmoving on his lap, but the other lay on the bed, just touching Adiana's arm. If she moved, that would wake him. For now though, the room was still, filled only with the sound of their mingled breathing.

The door to the room was partially open, and Bobby Singer stood in the doorway. He was leaning against the frame, watching the two like a rather protective guard dog. Footsteps echoed down the hallway, alerting him of someone's approach. Bobby leaned back and saw Sam coming towards him. He closed the door a little ways and stepped out into the hall.

"Hey Sam," he greeted.

"Hey Bobby." Sam looked into the bedroom and sighed.

"How'd you sleep?"

"Alright, I guess. I didn't mean to sleep through the night." Sam passed a hand over his eyes, still trying to wake up. Their tones were hushed so as not to wake Dean.

"You needed it, 'n so does he." Bobby gestured towards the room with a wave. "Nothing's changed besides." Sam nodded. He was disappointed, but he had expected as much.

"Has Dr. Wyatt…?" He left the question open, but there was no ending needed. Bobby shook his head.

"Haven't seen her since yesterday." In fact, they'd barely seen her at all during the past few days. Occasionally, she would come up to take readings off many of the machines or attach another bag of nutrients for Adiana. The rest of the time she disappeared down into her lab, doing whatever it was she was doing down there. Experiments on blood samples probably or tending to creatures that were locked away. None of them really knew. It was highly likely that she would have come around more often if the first day hadn't gone so badly.

Sam and Bobby had waited around for close to twelve hours in that one room. They paced, read and watched television. At least, they tried to. Always nagging at the back of their minds was the operation going on just one floor below them. Eventually, they heard the pounding of feet on stairs. Both got up from the couch where they had been making half-hearted conversation when Dean burst through the doorway insisting that they needed to leave. He had Adiana cradled in his arms, wrapped up in a towel. The way he was holding her, they had thought she was dead. Claudia appeared behind him then, her usual calm composure gone. She had yelled that he was out of his mind, that he needed her. If Adiana hadn't been in his arms, Dean looked as if he would have knocked her to the ground. He had a few choice words for her instead. During the heated argument that followed, it took several attempts from both Sam and Bobby to figure out the gist of what had happened. After that, it took even longer to come to a decision on what to do next. Claudia had warned them that the operation could have dire consequences, but she'd spoken of the procedure as if she was more sure of the results then she'd actually been. Assuming Adiana remained in this comatose state, none of the men wanted her to be treated as just another experiment. However, they didn't know what Adiana needed medically after the procedure and couldn't risk bringing her to an actual doctor. In the end, that outweighed the anger. Still, the already unstable relationship with Claudia had grown even more strained, especially with Dean. Each passing hour made him seem more like a caged animal forced tightly into a corner. So Claudia stayed mostly out of everyone's way.

As if summoned by the sound of her name, however, Claudia appeared this morning in the hallway. Her perfect hair was slightly disheveled, and her eyes were glassy. She wore a white medical coat with some black splattered around the sleeves, almost certainly Adiana's blood. In her hand was clasped a medical bag. The men had been forewarned of her approach by the sound of her clicking heels. While they both tensed at the sight of her, there was still a sense of hope in Sam's eyes.

"Well." Claudia stopped in front of them, glancing at one and then the other. "At least, you've finally moved out of that room."

"Good morning to you too, Claudia," said Bobby in a clipped tone. Sam anxiously regarded the medical bag in her hand.

"Have you come up with anything?"

"I assume you mean, do I know why she hasn't woken up yet?" Claudia ran a hand over her hair, flattening some of the strands that had been sticking out. She peeked into the room, settling once she noticed that Dean was asleep. "I have a theory." They stared at her expectantly. She smiled. "Oh no, I think I'll keep this one to myself. Last time I had a theory that I was unsure of, things got…. unpleasant. This time I'll wait until I'm absolutely certain I'm correct." She made for the bedroom door, but Bobby stepped in front of it. He crossed him arms over his chest, as Claudia's mouth pressed into a very thin line.

"I think we'll be hearing that theory now," he stated. She made a frustrated sound, switching the medical bag from one hand to the other. She looked to Sam, who gave her no help and seemed equally resolved.

"Fine. But remember, this is only a theory." She sighed and ran a hand through her hair again. "In our red blood cells, there is something called hemoglobin. It transfers the oxygen we need to our muscles. Do you know how much of our red blood cells this makes up?"

"Um, about half?" Sam answered after a moment's pause. Claudia raised an eyebrow, obviously not having expected an answer. She carried on as if this had not fazed her one bit.

"Yes, about half. I was testing Adiana's hemoglobin levels from before and after the demon had entered her bloodstream to see if the possession had any effect. It didn't, which I thought was interesting. However, I found something even better." She assumed a superior air, and her eyes gleamed with excitement. Sam and Bobby were hanging on her words, and she knew it. "I found that Adiana's red blood cells, or black blood cells as they became, consisted only of a third of hemoglobin!" All she got was blank looks, and instantly annoyance flashed in her eyes.

"So…" said Bobby slowly, trying to pull more out of her. Claudia blinked. She couldn't believe their lack of reaction.

"So! She shouldn't have been able to function, at least not without some serious medication. This would be the worst case of anemia the world had ever seen. She should have had an increased heart rate, rapid breathing, overbearing weakness and constant fatigue. I assume she displayed none of those symptoms?" She looked at Sam for confirmation. He shrugged. His face was taut as he considered what she was telling him.

"No. At least, I don't think so," he responded. Claudia nodded rapidly.

"Exactly. She's a complete medical anomaly. She should have died starving for oxygen, but she didn't. Her body adapted somehow. Now, the blood I gave her has higher hemoglobin levels then it's used to. Her body needs to readapt. If it can successfully manage that, I believe she'll wake up. If not, well…" She stared through the crack in the door, only able to see a sliver of the bed sheets. Thoughtfully, she tilted her head. "If I could only figure out how her body survived in the first place, it's possible I could help speed up the process. The intubation seems to have helped already. That's why I was able to remove the tube late last night. The heart rate though…" She blinked and righted herself. "Now if you two will excuse me, I have a few things to take care of so I can get back to my work."

"Just try not to make too much noise. Dean's sleepin'," Bobby requested as he stepped aside. Claudia frowned.

"Oh yes, because he's been so considerate to me," she snapped. She swept into the room, but did make an actual effort not to step too loudly on the floor.

"Hemoglobin, huh?" Bobby murmured to Sam from the doorway where they both were watching. Claudia set her medical bag on the bed and pulled out her notebook. She started to scribble as she looked at the monitors.

"Yeah… I guess it could make sense," Sam said hesitantly. "I don't know. I was pre-law, not pre-med."

"Hmmm…"

Claudia checked the IV drip, and must have decided that it was still full enough, because she left it alone. Being very mindful of Dean on the opposite side of the bed, Claudia reached down and lifted Adiana's head off the pillow. She pulled the sleep mask off and laid her head gingerly back down. Then, she reached into her medical bag and pulled out gauze and a bottle of clear liquid. Dipping the gauze in it, she wiped the sealing solution off Adiana's eyes.

"Where did you say Adiana was from again?" Bobby asked.

"I didn't." Bobby looked back at Sam, who was pointedly avoiding his gaze.

"Dean said you met her on the road. So-"

"We did." Sam was quiet for a moment as he watched Claudia take out a light and shine it into Adiana's eyes one at a time. "I mean, we sort of… found her passed out on a porch."

"Passed out, as in passed out drunk?"

"No." Bobby leaned against the doorframe, considering Sam who continued to stare over his shoulder.

"Okay, so you find a passed-out girl on yer porch and, what, you just take her in?"

"Yes – I mean, no." For the first time, Sam glanced at Bobby. There was something guarded in his expression. "We checked her to make sure she was human."

"And she never told you where she was from?" Sam blinked, shifting his weight uneasily from foot to foot. When he didn't answer, Bobby's eyes narrowed. From what he'd seen, Sam wasn't usually this bad of a liar. Something had to be bothering him. "She did tell you."

"She's from Massachusetts."

"And that was so hard to tell me because…"

"It wasn't. Heads up." Sam jerked his head up to indicate that Bobby should look in the room. Claudia had dropped the light back into the medical bag and snapped it shut. On the chair, Dean stirred.

"Boy, this might be-," Bobby started, but Sam was already walking into the bedroom. He grunted and pulled his baseball cap farther down on his forehead. Whatever it was that Sam was keeping quiet, he had a feeling that it was pretty damn important. He hung back by the door as Claudia left, her back just disappearing from view as Dean opened his eyes. Dean blinked several times and sat up slowly in his chair, stretching out his back. He looked down at Adiana, his fingers tracing her arm before moving to stretch more fully.

"Hey, was that Doctor Oberheuser leaving?" he asked Sam, who was hovering over the bed where Claudia had just been standing.

"Yeah, she was just checking her eyes," Sam informed his brother. He reached out and brushed back a strand of Adiana's hair that Claudia had left sticking out at an odd angle. "Maybe they're all right now if she took the mask off."

"Yeah, I guess." Dean got up out of his chair and walked over to the window. He moved one of the curtains aside with his hand and squinted into the light. "How long was I out?"

"Not long enough," Bobby answered, leaving his post at the door. "Don't worry," he added when Dean looked back at him. "I was watchin'. Figured you two would damn near have a heart attack if you thought Claudia might have done somethin' when you were asleep." Dean let the curtain fall and circled back behind his chair.

"Thanks, Bobby."

"No problem. I want her to make it too, fer both yer sakes." They all looked at her quietly, the beeping heart monitor still going steadily in the background. Bobby broke the silence. "Sam and I were talkin' about her just before you woke up." Dean looked up to find Bobby watching him very closely.

"Okay."

"'Bout where she came from."

"Mass. Probably why she makes such awesome apple pies," Dean said without pause, but he could sense that there was something more Bobby was trying to ask.

"Right, well that's what Sam said only it took him an awful long time to get around to that." Dean's eyes flicked over to Sam. The corner of Sam's mouth twitched, and he gave Dean a guilty, apologetic look. Dean's jaw muscles tensed, and Bobby noticed. "Something you boys want to tell me?"

"No." Bobby tilted his head and gave Dean a hard look. Dean put his hands on the back of the chair in exasperation. "No. Look, where she's from has nothing to do with why she won't freakin' wake up."

"It might," said Sam in a soft voice. He stood over Adiana, looking down at her face.

"What?"

"Dean, when you were asleep we talked to Claudia and she said…" He looked up at Dean. "She said that Adiana was a medical anomaly."

"Meaning?"

"It's her blood. The makeup is all wrong. She basically shouldn't exist. So maybe–" Sam threw his hands up. "I don't know." Dean's knuckles tightened on the chair.

"You're just going to take the good doctor's word for it. That's just awesome."

"Well it makes sense, doesn't it?" Sam snapped defensively. "Adiana said-"

"I know what she-"

"Why don't you-"

"Hey!" Bobby said loudly. "I know we're all tired, so let's stop this before things get ugly." Sam took a deep breath and focused his gaze on the window curtain. Dean crossed his arms over his chest. He bit on the inside of his cheek to stop himself from saying anything else. Bobby looked between them. "Now, someone tell me what in the blazes you two are keepin' from me." After a few minutes of uncomfortable shuffling, Dean spoke up.

"Alright…this is gonna sound weird." When he hesitated, Bobby gestured for him to continue. Dean sighed. "We told you that Yellow Eyes wanted her, but… we lied when we told you that it was to get to us. As far as we can tell, Yellow Eyes is on her tail because of some creature that picked her up."

"What kind of creature?" Dean shrugged a shoulder.

"We don't know. It appears only in dreams, looks like a woman and it's powerful enough to send Yellow Eyes packing more than once."

"She burst into flames at one point," Sam added. Dean leaned back on the chair.

"Right. It also had to get her from her home to our porch and pack her head with a bunch of stuff about us, and I'm talking stalker material."

"Did she remember anything unusual before then, signs of demon activity maybe?" Bobby asked. He frowned as he thought.

"No."

"Of course, you went back to her place and looked around." There was a flickering look between the brothers.

"…Not exactly."

"Why in the hell not?"

"Because she's not on the grid."

"No birth certificate, school records, credit cards," Sam listed off. "I hacked the FBI database to run facial recognition software. I even checked immigration records to see if she'd moved. Nothing. And her family, well they aren't listed anywhere either. There's a different family living in the house she remembers. They don't even have a daughter."

"And of course, she has an explanation for this?" Sam and Dean looked at each other again. Clearly, neither one of them wanted to say another word.

"Yeah," Dean said reluctantly. "Yeah, she uh…" He took a deep breath. "You see this creature, she… she thinks it brought her from another dimension where all of this-" He gestured with one hand to the room around him. "- is a television show."

"A television show," Bobby repeated slowly.

"Yeah. A television show called Supernatural, right?" Dean looked to Sam for confirmation and his brother nodded.

"Supernatural," Sam confirmed.

"So Adiana shows up out of what she tells you is another dimension, knowing who you two are because of a television show, but not how she got to you, except it has to do with some kind of creature neither of you have seen, and you two just take her along with you." Bobby's voice was completely calm, and his face expressionless. However, he crossed his arms over his chest and there was a hard look creeping into his eyes.

"I know it sounds bad when you say it like that but-" Sam began, but Bobby was not finished.

"And you're sure she's human?"

"Of course we're sure," said Dean at once, his shoulders stiffening. "She's as human as you or me, Bobby."

"And you believe her about this other dimension?"

"I…" Dean gritted his teeth. "I believe that she believes it."

"Really?" Bobby glanced at Sam, but Sam just nodded. "Why?"

"There was this psychic Andy," Sam started. "He could make people tell the truth, and she spilled. She couldn't have lied."

"You're sure this psychic's mojo worked on everyone?"

"Uh… I mean, it didn't work on me, but… but…" Sam floundered. He stared helplessly at Dean. "We believe her, okay?" Bobby sighed, and ran a hand over his forehead before pulling his hat back down.

"Boys, you know I like this girl. After everything you've been through, I think you two deserve a break. I hate to be the one who brings this up, but you need to think this over, especially considering all that's happened. There's a chance something's jam packed her head full of fantasies, but it sounds more like either she's spun you a web of lies or… she's just… cra-"

"She. Is. Not. Crazy," Dean growled through clenched teeth. Sam stepped a little closer, as though he expected Dean to fly at Bobby any second.

"Guys," said a raspy voice. "Please don't fight."

* * *

There was noise. Muffled. Was that what had woken her? It was hard to say between that and the itchy, achy feeling she had all over her body. Not all over her body. There was less of it in her limbs, but the numbness there suggested that those areas were asleep. At least she wasn't cold, so she must have been moved from that operating table. Adiana wanted to open her eyes, but she had the nagging feeling that she shouldn't. That's right, Dr. Wyatt had told her not to. There was something that was strange though. She lay there thinking, and it came to her. She couldn't sense Leraie. In her mind, she reached for the demon, but it was like reaching for a doorknob, only to find it was no longer there. Her head was empty, and she was sure that the demon was gone. Mostly she was relieved, but after everything, it was strange not to have Leraie there. She felt almost alone. She hoped the demon had found a better place.

At the mention of her name in Bobby's gruff voice, Adiana tuned into the conversation. Sam, Dean and Bobby were all there. Since Dr. Wyatt rarely kept quiet, she was probably not present. She might have interrupted the conversation earlier, but the topic was enough to keep her silent. She didn't blame Bobby for doubting her. The situation did make her sound like a complete nutter. Even she wondered sometimes, but now she thought she knew a way to prove it, at least to herself. When Dean's voice sounded dangerously on edge, she decided to step in.

"Guys, please don't fight." She almost choked at the end. Her throat burned with every word. Was that from disuse or pain from something else? The room went silent. She coughed. "Um, guys? Hello?" Then there was a flurry of movement, which Adiana could only guess at. It was very hard to keep her eyes shut. Her eyelids flickered as a hand touched her cheek, Dean's hand.

"Hey, babe." There was so much relief behind those two words. Adiana turned towards him, hoping it would make her feel stronger. The warmth of his breath met her lips a moment before his own. They felt softer than she remembered, or perhaps her lips were just very chapped. Again, she wondered how long she had been out. She'd have to find the right moment to ask. "Hi," she said, once he pulled away. She lifted one hand a short way and felt him take it. "Now, I heard Sam and Bobby, too."

"We're here," Sam confirmed.

"Is it okay if I open my eyes and look at you? Do we know?" There was a pause, and a few creaks of weight shifting on the floorboards.

"Not for sure. I'll check," Bobby volunteered. His footsteps retreated across the floor.

"Thanks, Bobby." Adiana turned her head towards where she had heard Sam's voice. "Where have you got to, Sam?"

"I'm right here," Sam told her as he moved next to her bed, across from Dean. Adiana held up her free hand.

"C'mon. You get a kiss, too." Adiana felt Dean's fingers tightened around her hand. She raised her eyebrows and twisted her face towards him. "Relax, Dean. And don't give your brother that look." Dean mumbled under his breath, but his grip relaxed on her hand. Her fingers touched Sam's jaw, and she lifted her head enough to give him a kiss on the cheek.

"How are you feeling?" Dean asked, once her head was resting back against the pillow.

"I've felt worse, and you'll be happy to know that Leraie is gone."

"You're sure?"

"Yup." She coughed a few times. "Can't feel her at all." She coughed again.

"Do you want some water? I can get it," Sam suggested.

"Actually, that'd be great, thanks. I feel like I had something jammed down my throat."

"You did," murmured Dean darkly as Sam left the room. Adiana frowned.

"Really? What?"

"A tracheal tube. She insisted you needed it to breathe, but she took it out yesterday."

"Yesterday… Dean, how long was I out for?" A pause, and then Dean spoke hesitantly.

"Almost four days."

"Wha-what?" Adiana spluttered. Her mind was reeling so much so that she almost forgot to keep her eyes closed. Her throat contracted several times as she coughed again. That seemed like a long time to recover. She wondered how close to death she had come. The thought left her with chills. "Why?"

"I've been asking the good doctor the same question."

"And?"

"She didn't have an answer." That wasn't comforting. Adiana shifted on the bed, her fingers curling around Dean's hand. Did the doctor really not know, or had she just decided not to share her thoughts? She wasn't sure which would be worse.

"Well, she did save my life… but I still don't trust her."

"You don't have to. I'm getting you out of here."

"Now?"

"If you feel up to it. There's no demon in you, so there's no reason you can't go to a regular hospital." Adiana tried to sit up and failed miserably.

"Uh, except that you're on FBI's Most Wanted, and I've got an accessory charge. I'm not letting you go to prison for me," she warned as Dean helped her up. Cords and wires she hadn't realized were there brushed against her chest.

"I'll talk to Bobby. He must know someone."

"Not to rain on that parade, but his last pick was Dr. Wyatt."

"Point taken."

Adiana sighed. She had no desire to hang around and be studied by Doctor Wyatt. On the other hand, she might step out of the house and collapse, for all she knew. She bit the corner of her lip. The best she could do was wheedle out as much as possible from Doctor Wyatt before making any kind of decision. The whole situation made her want to scream in frustration. And then suddenly, she didn't feel like screaming anymore. Her throat constricted, and she felt very much like she wanted to cry.

"Sit next to me?" There was a creaking sound, but not floorboards. A chair? Then, the bed sunk down beside her. She rested her head against his chest near Dean's shoulder, and his arm wrapped around her waist. If she was frustrated, she could only imagine how Dean had felt these past few days. "I'll be okay. Promise." His lips pressed to her forehead.

"I know."

"You sound tired." She could feel him shrug. "You haven't been sleeping."

"I slept some."

"A couple of hours do not count."

"It was more than that."

"Dean Winchester, you are the worst liar I have ever met." She felt the muscles in his face shift. He was smiling.

"I could never lie to you, babe."

"Uh huh. I'm surprised you haven't collapsed yet."

"I had more important things to worry about than sleep." He held her closer.

"Yeah well, this thing-" Adiana pointed a finger at herself. "-is not going to sleep another wink until she sees this thing-" She jabbed the finger at Dean and winced as an IV pulled at her arm. "-sleeping." Dean snorted with laughter.

"You can't _see _anything right now."

"Oh, bite me," huffed Adiana in frustration.

"Anytime."

"And that's how I know you're feeling better." Adiana gave him the tiniest of smiles. Her head turned at the sound of approaching footsteps.

"I got your water." It was only Sam.

"Thanks." Adiana held out a hand, and after a few moments a cool glass was pressed into it. It was heavier than she expected, or rather her wrists were still pretty damaged, but she managed to keep a hold on the cup. The water tasted like cold relief as it passed down her sore throat. She forced herself not to gulp it all down. Nothing, she knew, would ever taste this good again. She lowered the glass, half empty, to her lap. "So I take it you haven't been sleeping either."

"You're not gonna let this go, are you?" asked Dean.

"It's been nearly a month that you two haven't been sleeping properly. Of course, I'm not going to let that go!" If she let this go, she was going to have to think about whatever it was that was still bothering her. It hovered like a soap bubble, just out of reach, and she was afraid to find out what it was. They all heard the sound of heels clacking quickly on tile with heavier footsteps right behind. Dean's body stiffened behind her. Adiana squeezed his hand, partially to reassure him but mostly to reassure herself. Above everything, she had to remember that Claudia had saved her life.

"Adiana, I'm glad to see you awake," said Claudia cheerily. She probably was. Somehow, Adiana thought things might not have gone well for Claudia if the operation had failed.

"It's good to be awake and demon-free. It'd be even better if I could open my eyes." Something dropped on the bed next to her. There was a click and some shuffling of objects.

"Of course. I believe your eyes have healed, but I will just have to check. Open your right eye." Adiana clench her left eye shut and opened her right eye. Everything was blurry and dark. She blinked several times trying to clear away the fuzziness. Suddenly, her vision was filled with a bright yellow light. She flinched away, sucking in a breath and blinking rapidly as tears welled up.

"You could at least warn her," Dean snarled. His arms shifted around her as though he was itching for the chance to pull her away.

"It's okay," Adiana assured him, not wanting a fight. She was in no mood to handle one of those. She looked back to Claudia, who had come into slightly better focus. She was holding a medical instrument that Adiana could remember from eye exams at her doctor's office. She moved it, revealing splatters of black on her sleeve. Adiana hoped that Leraie was right about the dying-with-the-blood-cells part. Otherwise, she did not envy the demon. "Go ahead." The light was raised again. Looking into the light stung, but she held her gaze straight.

"Your left eye." Adiana opened the other eye. For a second she had the same darkness in her vision, but the bright light soon followed it. At least this time she was prepared. When Claudia was satisfied, she dropped the light. "Your eyes are reacting properly. How is your vision?"

"Um…" Adiana let go of Dean's hand so that she could wipe the tears from her face. She opened her eyes wide and blinked. The only light in the room came from behind a curtain shade, and for that she was grateful. Her gaze adjusted and focused. Claudia looked much as Adiana had last seen her, although a bit wearier. If she was tired though, it was nothing compared to how Sam, who was hovering anxiously over her shoulder, looked. His clothing was rumpled, untidy as his hair. There was a shadow of a beard on his jaw, which made him appear older. The dark circles under his eyes made him look older still. She couldn't bring herself to look up at Dean. "It's fine."

"Good." Claudia put the light away and pulled out her notebook. She started scribbling immediately. "How are you feeling?" Adiana knew by now that 'fine' was not an answer. At the same time, she didn't want to worry anyone more than they already were.

"I'm kind of sore, everywhere really. My skin itches. My throat hurts, but the water is helping." And there was something, something else. Not right.

"Any dizziness? Nausea?"

"Er, no. I've got a bit of a headache, but I have been asleep for a long time so…" Claudia looked at her, narrowing her eyes, and then went back to her notes.

"Are you able to move properly? Take your time to make sure." Since she was able to speak, Adiana knew that at least her face was okay. She shifted her neck a bit, and her shoulders. Ouch, that hurt. She moved her arms and shifted her wrists. Those didn't work so well, but she knew why. She tried to bend her fingers, even the one that was clipped to some sort of medical device.

"The middle and ring finger on my right hand aren't working." Claudia set down her notebook and held out an expectant hand. Adiana placed her hand in the doctor's. "They haven't worked since Leraie bit through my wrist," she explained as Claudia prodded and bent the two fingers. She couldn't feel a thing.

"Try curling your hand into a fist." Adiana tried. The two fingers moved slightly, pulled by the muscles in the rest of her hand, but they didn't curl properly. "That's permanent nerve damage." Claudia let go of her hand and picked up the journal.

"Oh." Adiana's shoulders slumped. She was right-handed. At least she could still write, but there were a lot of things that were going to be difficult.

"Anything else?" Adiana tried wiggling her toes next. She could, although they tingled from sleep. She could bend her ankles and her knees. Everything felt normal except one small area. The spot on her back didn't feel warm or cold. It didn't itch or hurt. Strange.

"There's a spot on my back I can't feel. Maybe it's asleep?"

"Show me where." Adiana leaned forward with Dean's arm around her shoulders to help. She reached behind her and felt for the spot. She knew she'd found it when she couldn't feel the pressure of her fingers. There was a patch near the middle of her shoulder blades that had gone numb. It was unsettling, and yet that wasn't what was bothering her the most.

"Here." Claudia shifted the notebook to one hand and reached out. When the doctor's fingers touched her own, Adiana dropped her hand. She could feel Claudia grip the bottom of her shirt and pull it up, but when she reached the spot again, nothing. Claudia was silent and then she let the shirt fall. "What's there?"

"Nothing."

"The girl can't feel a place on her back, Claudia. That's not nothin'," Bobby pointed out. Adiana gave him an appreciative glance. Maybe he didn't trust her completely anymore, but at least he trusted Claudia even less. Claudia shot him a cool look.

"I didn't say it was nothing, Robert. I simply said that there's nothing there."

"So, what is it?" asked Adiana, trying not to sound annoyed or anxious. Claudia eyed her over her notebook.

"Nerve damage."

"Permanent?"

"Yes." Adiana was confused.

"From what?"

"I have a few more questions before I am sure." Adiana nodded, not feeling any better. Apparently being traumatized by a demon wasn't enough, there had to be additional things wrong with her now. Claudia took her time writing lengthy notes at which point she glanced at the heart monitor several times. Adiana looked at it too, and she sensed the knowledge she'd been avoiding float closer. "How does your chest feel?" That was not the question she'd been expecting.

"Fine, I guess. Not any worse than the rest of me." Claudia stopped writing and looked at her carefully. Adiana's stomach bubbled unpleasantly.

"No tightness?"

"No."

"No pain when you breathe?"

"No." Claudia glanced at the heart monitor again.

"Why do you keep-" _Beep._ A long pause. _Beep. _Adiana stared at the monitor until a spike blipped across the screen. _Beep_. "What's the average woman's heart rate?" Claudia paused nearly as long as the monitor.

"Sixty-four." As she listened, the rate began to increase. _Beep. Beep. _

"And what's mine?" _Beep. Beep. Beep._

"Forty-three." Adiana knew immediately that that was what had felt so wrong. Her breathing wasn't the same. Breathing wasn't a habit she'd really thought about before, and now that she did, it felt forced, almost constricted and much slower. She began to panic, and the beeping escalated.

"Why?" Claudia sighed and put her notebook away. She pulled out a bottle of cleaning solution.

"Through no fault of my own, though I must admit I knew this would be a possibility, you have developed hyperoxia. It's an excess of oxygen in your blood and body tissues." Claudia took Adiana's arm and turned it over to clean a patch of the skin. Adiana let it happen, too intent on listening to care much. "As I explained to Robert and Sam, your blood originally carried much less oxygen than I would have believed could allow you to survive, and yet somehow you did. This new blood carries the normal amount of oxygen, but significantly more than your body is used to." Claudia dropped the cleaning supplies on a bedside table and peeled the wrapping off of an empty syringe. "There was a high probability that your body wouldn't accept the new blood at all, but it seems to be adapting. However, a result of that was hyperoxia." Adiana winced as the needle was stuck in her arm. The syringe began to fill with blood.

"And the slow heart rate and breathing is part of that?"

"Yes and no. They are methods your body has taken on in order to adapt to the hyperoxia. By slowing down, there is less oxygen taken in. It's incredible really. I've never seen someone adapt quite so fast." Claudia removed the syringe from Adiana's skin. She placed it on the table and taped gauze over the pinprick.

"So what happens if I breathe faster?" Claudia froze and looked up at her.

"I'd advise against that."

"What happens?" Claudia picked up the syringe again and found a tube. She pushed the needle through the top of the tube and blood streamed in.

"Your heart rate would increase, and the hyperoxia would begin its work. Common effects of the condition are loss in vision, nerve damage, lung contractions, dizziness and seizures which will shortly end in…" She glanced at Dean next to Adiana and back to her tube. "As I said, I would advise against it." Adiana had almost forgotten that anyone else was here. The men had been unusually quiet, which could only mean that they weren't taking the news well. Adiana didn't know how she was handling the news. The chance of breaking out into a seizure at any moment didn't thrill her, but if she'd adapted than this could be manageable. Maybe. Or maybe not. Of course, the boys weren't going to let her do anything remotely exciting ever again regardless. She looked at Sam, and sure enough he'd gone at least a shade paler. That kept her from burying her head in Dean's chest and telling them all to go away.

"Is there anything else?" Claudia gave her a look that said, 'Isn't that enough?' and all of the equipment went back in her bag.

"That is everything I could find, yes."

"Then, I'm free to go." Claudia nearly dropped her bag. "I mean, if you can't actually help me with any of this, there's no reason for me to stay."

"You're still recovering. You should stay under observation for another week at least." Claudia flashed a smile that was meant to appear comforting. Adiana frowned.

"Look, I appreciate that you saved my life, but I'd rather not." Claudia drew herself up to her full height. An indignant gleam crept into her eyes.

"We had a deal. One week, and I am only trying to help."

"It's been a week," Sam pointed out, blinking as though he had just woken up from a bad dream. "Almost exactly one week since we made that deal." Claudia turned to him sharply.

"She needs me. You have no idea what to do with her."

"Yes, we do." Dean's voice rumbled in Adiana's ear. "You just told us. And if we don't, we'll find someone else who does." Claudia glared at him.

"You can't argue with-"

"We're not arguing, Dr. Wyatt," Adiana told her calmly. "We're telling you that we are leaving." When Claudia opened her mouth, Adiana held up a hand. "Don't try. I know there's nothing else." Claudia's mouth snapped shut. Adiana's wide eyes studied the trembling doctor before her and had an idea. "But as I said before, I am thankful that you saved my life, so in exactly one month, you will get a phone call from Bobby."

"Oh, she will, will she?" Bobby muttered, but Adiana knew he'd help out. Claudia was quiet. Adiana had gotten her attention.

"He will tell you a location for you to be at in exactly twenty-four hours. I will meet you there for one hour, at which time you will be allowed one blood sample, one measure of my heart rate and as many questions as you can fit in. Oh and I won't be alone, so don't think you'll be getting any more than that. Deal?" Adiana held out a hand. It was the least she could do, really, and hopefully Claudia would think twice before doing anything unpleasant. Claudia eyed her skeptically, but she stuck out her own hand and shook Adiana's once. She sniffed and swept out the door with all the dignity she could muster, not sparing them another word.

"You're not serious," Dean muttered.

"The important thing is that we can go," Adiana said, avoiding the question. She pulled the cuff off of one finger and tried taking the IV out of her arm. When it wasn't working, Dean helped, which gave Adiana a chance to begin pulling wires off of her chest. The heart monitor dropped down to a steady whine.

"Should I get your bag?" Sam asked, turning to the door. Adiana looked down at her white, baggy shirt and decided that it wasn't worth it. Too much effort.

"That's okay. I'd rather just go." Getting to her feet was a problem, as she had known it would be. She would have crumpled to the ground if Dean hadn't been supporting her. He didn't give her an opportunity to protest this time, just picked her up and carried her. Adiana didn't even fight him on it much. It would have taken her an obscene amount of time to get to the car at the rate she would have been shuffling. She got her first chance to look at Dean then. He looked absolutely exhausted. He smelled different without the aftershave too, although the scent still clung to his clothing. She was pretty sure he hadn't changed clothes since she'd last seen him.

"You know you're always welcome back at my place," Bobby said as they all hovered outside of their cars. Claudia was nowhere in sight, but the garage door had been left open.

"Thanks, Bobby, but I think we need to hit it out on our own for a while," asserted Dean. Adiana wondered if that sharpness in his voice was because he was still upset at Bobby or just the situation in general. She nuzzled closer to his chest.

"Okay well, you three give me a call to let me know how things are going."

"We will," Adiana promised. "Thanks, Bobby. I wouldn't be here without you."

"Any time, kid." His smile didn't quite match his eyes, but she would take it. As Dean turned around to help her in the car, she caught a glimpse of him mouthing 'we still need to talk' as he shook hands with Sam. She sighed, and shifted her grip on Dean as he deposited her gently in the back seat.

"Do you want me to stay back here or are you gonna be okay?" he asked.

"I'll be okay. You need to drive her," Adiana insisted. When the back door closed, she scooted into a comfortable position. For once, she didn't mind being stuck in this back seat at all. The familiar scent of the leather was reassuring. Once Sam and Dean were in the front seat, the engine started up, and they were on the road again. "Where do you wanna go?" Adiana looked up and met Dean's eyes in the rearview mirror.

"Anywhere I can take a bath and you two can get some sleep."

"Sounds good to me," said Sam, who was leaning against the window ready to fall asleep at any moment. They didn't make it very far. Around two hours of near-silent driving later, they pulled into a large hotel. That was nice, at least she did not have to worry about what may or may not be lurking on the edges of a motel bathtub. Dean went inside to get the keys while Sam got everything they needed from the trunk. Adiana had a feeling that Sam was avoiding talking with her on purpose, not knowing what to say. That was okay. He had to be tired, and she didn't like to think what emotional state went with tired. She couldn't face talking about herself either. They made their way to the top floor, ignoring the scandalized looks that came their way. Sam, who was managing to carry all three of their bags, held open the door for Dean. The room was very large and decorated in lovely golds and creamy yellows.

"I have to hand it to you Dean, you can really pick a hotel room." Adiana craned her neck to look around.

"I wanted to make sure it had a big-" Dean leaned around a corner and clicked on the light switch to the bathroom. "-tub." The bathtub was very large. It was big enough for two people with jets to turn on if she wanted. Adiana squeaked as Dean set her right into the tub.

"Sam, you can drop my bag right here. Thanks." Sam placed her bag on the outside edge. "Sam?" Sam poked his head back in as Dean began to shut the door.

"Yeah."

"Don't check on me until you've gotten some serious sleep."

"Okay," he said with a smile, pulling the door the rest of the way shut. Adiana hoisted herself up onto the edge of the tub. She managed to pull off her clothes by herself and left them in a clump by the tub. Turning the water on took some effort, but it was worth it to feel the hot spray engulf her toes. She leaned back to go through her bag, almost fell over, but righted herself and pulled out everything she would need. Then, she just shifted her legs back and forth in the water as it crept up the sides of the tub and wrinkled her nose. Ew. Her legs were going to be the first order of business, followed closely by her toenails. She could faintly hear Sam and Dean's voices outside, probably discussing her. She wished they would stop and go get some rest. She couldn't look that bad, could she? Carefully leaning on the wall for support, she stood up and looked in the mirror.

The first thing she noticed was that she had definitely lost weight. Her face was thinner and her ribs had started to poke out through her skin. The muscle she had started to gain from her daily workouts was all but gone. She was paler, having not been outside for quite some time, and even her blonde hair seemed to have darkened from the lack of sunlight. Of course, there was also the grease, which didn't help and the tangles in her hair that that not been brushed for days. Her lips were flaky and chapped. She'd had a breakout on her forehead and in the corner of her chin. Those were the only parts of her that weren't pale apart from angry pink scars on her wrists and chest. She touched them and grimaced. She'd always have those scars. She leaned her head against the wall and sighed at her reflection. People on television always looked pretty after they survived some traumatic surgery. She didn't look pretty. She looked like a mess. Scratch that, she was a mess. No wonder they'd been so worried. She slipped down into the water, determined to look a lot better by the end of this. She'd finished shaving all the unwanted hair into a wastebasket, with a few cuts to show for it, and was halfway through cutting her nails with a great deal of difficulty when Dean opened the door.

"How's your bath?"

"Lovely," Adiana said in a strained tone. It was difficult to use nail scissors when two of her fingers didn't work. She was leaning over the rim of the bathtub, her wet hair falling around her and nearly hitting the edge of the wastebasket. She concentrated on the scissors and willed them to work for her. "I hope you got Sam to leave."

"Yeah. He's got a room down the hall."

"Super." Adiana attempted to shut the scissors and succeeded only in prodding the sensitive skin. She sucked in a breath, and pulled her hand away. Again she tried with the same result and had the urge to throw the scissors across the floor. Dean must have noticed something in her expression.

"Give those to me," he instructed as he sat on the edge of the tub.

"No, I can do it," Adiana insisted and he took the scissors from her. She huffed and slipped lower in the tub, letting him have the hand she'd been working on. "I'm sorry that I'm useless."

"You're not useless." Adiana looked up at Dean. He was twisting the scissors around, trying to figure out how to use them when they were clearly meant for someone with smaller fingers. "Don't they make these for normal sized people?"

"How am I not useless? I've been out of commission for a month. I can't walk. I can barely stand. Now, I can't even use a stupid pair of scissors. Tell me, how am I not useless?"

"You can cook, for one." He'd found a way to hold the scissors well enough and cut through the nail she'd been fussing over for the past few minutes.

"Not if I can't stand."

"You keep me and Sam from fighting."

"Only because the two of you have been too freaked, worrying that I was going to drop dead."

"Adiana." Dean gave her an exasperated look.

"Sorry." Adiana sunk down further in the tub so that the water rose up over her lips. Dean went back to cutting her nails.

"So you're going through a hard time. So what? You've gotten me through worse. When I want to throw in the towel over Sam or Dad or life, you've been there to tell me to get the hell up and keep going. I don't know what I would have done without you. Probably something really stupid. Look, I never told you this, but back when I thought Sammy was gonna die from that demon virus, I really planned on dying right there with my brother. But when I saw that you weren't gonna go, I knew that I couldn't leave you either. If Sam had turned… if… if he still does, then you're all I've got to keep me going. So when I thought I might lose you… that's why I fought so hard. Because I knew I owed you that much."

Adiana had watched Dean silently as he talked, and when he finished she was silent for a good while longer. It wasn't often that he really talked to her like this, so everything he said she knew must be important to him. She had never thought she could mean that much to anyone, that she could be worth that much. It made her feel guilty for the way she'd been acting, if he was going to take to heart the things she did. If he was trying to be strong for her, than what she really owed him was to be strong for the both of them. She lifted her head from the water.

"Dean, I…" She didn't even know what she could say to compete with that. For once, she was the one with nothing to say. "Thanks."

"Sure." He finished the last nail with a triumphant smile. "Done. And I don't want you ever telling Sammy about this." He put the nail scissors down. Adiana smiled at him.

"You're the best."

"I know." Adiana smiled and tilted her head up for a kiss. When he leaned in enough, she took a hold of his shirt and pulled. Her being strong started right now. There was pain, but the result was worth it. Dean had not expected any trick whatsoever; he slid into the tub with a splash that slopped water over the edges. He blinked water out of his eyes and coughed. "You."

"Me." Adiana giggled as he shifted dazedly in the tub so he was not sitting on top of her. "Well, you did need a bath too."

"Not in my clothes."

"Then, get out of them. I'm not stopping you." He stared down at her with comprehension dawning on his face.

"You planned this."

"I did not." She gave him a mock-offended look. "I do have moments of inspiration. I'm not useless, remember?"


	38. Piece By Piece

**For my reviewers: Alyssa43, XKaterinaNightingaleX, 1llu510n, Abbywriter and Carver Edlund**

Dean stared at the page in front of him, scanning the words for anything useful. After the eighth book, the words were all starting to blend together. He still had another stack to look through that he was currently using to prop up this book. He rubbed a hand over his forehead. There was a headache coming on. He could feel it.

"Remind me why we agreed to take this case?" he prompted. Sam barely glanced up from his laptop screen.

"Adiana." Dean sighed and sunk down lower in his chair, flipping a page. Right. Adiana, who was back at The Roadhouse with Ellen, Jo and Ash watching out for her instead of him. He hadn't wanted to leave her anywhere, but he'd come to the realization that it was what she needed.

Just a week after they'd left Claudia's house, Adiana had started hinting that he and Sam should go out hunting or do something without her. She said she felt guilty for keeping them in all the time, but they'd just shrugged it off and insisted that they didn't mind. As far as Dean was concerned, he wasn't going to let her out of his sight until Yellow Eyes was permanently out of the picture. As time went on though, he started to notice that she started resisting their help, politely at first but growing more exasperated. Finally, she'd exploded and told them that they were 'smothering her with love,' which was her way of telling them to back the hell off. He didn't blame her for being frustrated. He'd felt like he had been going crazy when she and Sam had put him on lockdown for a month after their brush with the police. What really convinced him though was when she suggested staying at The Roadhouse for a few days. He knew she must have been really irritated with the whole situation for her to propose bonding time with Jo. He'd gotten the impression that Adiana and Jo didn't like each other very much, though they tried not to show it. Well, there was that, and the fact that Adiana had been trying to talk him into taking her back to Independence. He didn't think it was safe for her to go back, so instead, and with a great deal of reluctance, he left her at The Roadhouse and took a case within seven hours driving distance. Actually, using hunting to vent wouldn't have been a bad idea, if only they could figure out what the thing freaking was.

"If it looks like a ghost and acts like a ghost, then why the hell isn't salt working or iron?"

"I don't know." Dean tossed the book on the table and rubbed his eyes.

"You any closer to IDing the damn ghost or whatever it is?" Sam rolled his eyes to the ceiling as if asking for heavenly help, and then took on a determinedly calm expression.

"No. I've gone back through death records for the past eighty years, and I still haven't found him."

"Awesome." He reached out for his coffee cup but when he went to gulp down some of the coffee, he realized it was empty. How long had he been reading? He searched through the books on the table and found his cell under Dad's journal. Way too long. Before he even got up, his cell went off in his hand. He glanced over at Sam watching him and then answered. "Hey Bobby."

"_Hey Dean. Been almost two weeks so I thought I'd check in._"

"Well, we're doing just fine."

"_Good to hear._" There was a pause, but Dean could sense that Bobby had more to say. He hoped it didn't have anything to do with their last argument because there was no way he bought the crap idea that Adiana had been lying to him this entire time. "_Look, I've been doing some digging, and if you're still sure that Adiana is… alright-"_

"She is," Dean said, with all the tension that had just entered his body reflecting in his tone.

"_Right. Well then, this creature… I might have some clue as to what it is."_

* * *

Adiana watched Dean through the backseat window as he circled around the motel.

"This has got to be the fifth time he's done that," she noted, resting her head and arms on the top of the front seat right next to Sam. Sam gave her a small smile.

"He just doesn't want another demon dragging you off. And I don't either." He leaned forward, peering after Dean as he slipped behind the motel. "If this is where Yellow Eyes wanted you, he might have sent someone here." Adiana shrugged.

"I guess. On the other hand, he probably doesn't think I'd show up." Sam made a noncommittal noise as he waited for Dean to appear again around the other side. Adiana sighed, and fell back in her seat. Her cheek pressed against the cool glass as she watched, hoping this time that Dean would finally come back to the car.

Adiana was surprised that they were here at all. She'd thought it was going to take a lot more patience and pleading before Dean would consent to letting her come back. To her great surprise, he'd been the one to suggest it after picking her up from The Roadhouse. When she'd asked why he had a sudden change of heart, he'd said it was because he'd had time to think about it. There was something in his expression though that made her think he wasn't telling her everything, but she decided that pressing the matter might only make him change his mind.

Anyway, she would rather be waiting here than back at The Roadhouse. That had been an awkward experience. It wasn't because of Ash, who she saw little of anyhow. It wasn't because of Ellen, who had been a little overbearing but not nearly as much as the Winchesters. It was Jo. She had not taken well at all to Dean kissing Adiana goodbye. For the smallest moment, that kiss had tasted like victory, but then Adiana just felt bad about the whole situation. She knew how much it sucked to like someone, and then be forced to hang around that person's significant other. So she tried to be as nice as she could to Jo, but everything between them felt extremely strained. Jo stayed away most of the time though, so she supposed it could have been worse. Plus, it had been nice to interact with other women for a change.

This time when Dean came around the edge of the motel, he did actually walk back towards the Impala. Thank the stars, because she was actually beginning to get anxious. She reached for the door handle, fingers resting against the metal until Dean was nearly at the door before opening it. Her legs were much stronger from the constant exercise that she'd been putting herself through, so she could stand easily enough. It was only walking long distances that would be a problem for her now. Thankfully, it was a small parking lot.

"Can I go?" she asked Dean hopefully. He nodded while Sam got out of the car behind him.

"Yeah. Let's make this quick, okay?"

"Okay."

Sam and Dean flanked her across the parking lot like bodyguards. All they needed were sunglasses and earpieces, she thought with a smile. Of course, bodyguards weren't concealing holy water in the event there was a supernatural attack. Her smile diminished as she grew closer to the motel porch. Something was going to happen. She could feel it. She just hoped the 'something' was the proof she needed. They walked up onto the porch.

"It's-"

"No!" Adiana looked at Dean. His mouth was halfway open, and he'd started to raise his hand to point out the room. "I'll find it." She moved away and peered up and down the porch. They had been near an end. That much she remembered. Which end, though? The right, she was fairly sure. She headed in that direction. Her eyes nervously flicked towards all of the windows, but with Sam and Dean behind her, she knew she didn't need to be that worried.

In the end, Dean might have needed to point out the exact spot if the strangest sensation hadn't suddenly hit Adiana. Her whole body tingled as if she was cold and had suddenly stepped into a hot spray of water. She stopped.

"You alright?" asked Dean.

"Yeah, I…"

Adiana put a hand to her head. She felt something similar to vertigo. Then, as she stood there, she watched as the world around her changed. The porch and motel began to shift, splitting as though she was looking through a kaleidoscope lens. Even as they shifted, they faded out and another image overlaid the scene before her. Aisles of a store it looked like, and there were figures. Shadowy figures. They walked through the porch as if it weren't there, following the aisles. There were muffled noises overlapping each other. Something else was beneath these two scenes, too. Shadow shapes that were more familiar. A hand on her shoulder yanked her backwards. She stumbled and nearly fell.

"Adiana. Hey. Hey!" The hands were shaking her. Adiana blinked, trying to recover from what she had just seen and focus on Dean's voice. She tilted her head up. Dean had both his hands on her arms. His eyes were focused intently on her.

"Did you see that?" She glanced over at the spot where she had just stood. Everything was normal again.

"See what?"

"You didn't… But…" She twisted her head to look at Sam. He seemed just as nervous as Dean was, but he wasn't looking at the porch. His gaze was fixed on her. Maybe they needed to stand in the exact spot. She turned back to Dean. "Go stand there." She nodded towards the spot. "Go." Dean gave Sam a wary look, but he let go of Adiana's arms. Cautiously, he went to stand in the area she had indicated. A moment passed.

"Nothing."

"Nothing?" Adiana gaped at him. Dean shrugged, but he was eyeing her with more concern than before. "But that can't be right." She moved over to him and immediately the same sensation washed over her. The scene around her shifted. She pointed at the shadow people. "You can't see that?"

"I don't-" Adiana grabbed a hold of his arm and pointed. She could feel his muscles suddenly tense. He followed the direction of her finger, and then he was rapidly pulling her away. She let herself be led away, but she stared back at the spot.

"What was that? Adiana?" Dean's hands were on her face, directing her to look at him. She turned her head reluctantly.

"Home." Tears came upon her, and her throat felt as though it was swelling shut as she forced down the abrupt rush of emotion. She had fought for so long to come to terms with the fact that she would never get a chance to see her world again, but now that she had, she only felt confused and upset. Before, she had thought experiencing something like this was exactly what she had wanted. Now, she knew that she was wrong. She pulled herself from Dean's grasp, turning her back on the strange space. "Can we go? Please?" She knew Dean had a thousand questions, and Sam too, but they didn't ask her a single one.

"Yeah," said Dean, and that was enough for her to start walking to the Impala. She got into the back seat and sat there with her arms across her chest, staring into empty space. It took a couple of minutes for Sam and Dean to come back, but she didn't really notice. There was quiet until Sam spoke.

"Do you want to-"

"No," Adiana said at once and faced out of the side window. She sensed rather then saw the silent communication that went on between the boys. Whatever their conclusion was, the result was Dean starting up the Impala. As they pulled out of the parking lot, Adiana happened to give one fleeting glance back toward the porch. Sitting on the edge was the woman from her dreams. Adiana straightened up and craned her neck to see out of the back window, but the woman was gone. Perhaps she had never been there at all. Even if she was, Adiana wasn't sure she wanted to talk to her just now. She sunk down in her seat.

For miles, she was left to ponder what she had seen. It was proof that she wasn't crazy or under some enchantment. She'd gotten a glimpse into the world she'd left behind. Her friends were back there, and her family. Thoughts of her family hurt the most of all. Those moving shadow figures proved that life had moved on without her. Where had her family thought she had gone? Did they think she had run away or been kidnapped? By now they must think her dead. She wrapped her arms around her chest and choked back tears. She never wanted to cause her family any pain. Maybe she could go back and send a letter through. Only the other side hadn't seemed very clear. Somehow, she knew the letter would never reach home. She took a deep breath, taking in the leathery scent of the Impala. She couldn't go to pieces. After all, not so long ago she resolved to be strong. This was a good test, and she was determined not to fail. She got up from her slump and leaned on the front seat once she was feeling a bit better. Her head rested on her hands, tilted so she could look at Dean.

"So, what did you see?" Dean glanced at her, but then he focused back on the road.

"When?" Adiana's forehead crinkled as she gazed at him in disbelief.

"Um, when we were on that porch like…" She checked her watch. "Thirty minutes ago."

"I think she means the second time," said Sam. Disbelief turned to confusion. She turned to Sam, whose attention was focused on Dean, so she looked at him, too. What second time?

"I didn't see a damn thing until you grabbed me. And then…" Dean trailed off. His eyes darted back and forth across the road as he thought. The corner of his mouth twitched upwards. "Then everything went kinda Twilight Zone. I could see the porch but there was something underneath it, like-" His lips tightened, and he tilted his head. "Shadows."

"Shadow people?" Adiana suggested excitedly. If Dean had seen them too, he had to believe her.

"Could have been. Some of them, anyway."

"But… but you saw the supermarket?" Dean finally glanced at her again, but she didn't see understanding in his eyes. Only confusion. "No, I guess you didn't." She peered down at the dashboard and bit the corner of her lip. Why was she the only one to see it? Maybe… Maybe… "Maybe because I'm the one that came through." Her head lifted off her hands. Yes.

"What?" Dean asked. She ignored the question.

"Sam, you said 'the first time'. What first time?" Sam shifted in his seat, taken aback by her sudden intense gaze.

"Oh, uh, there was this place on the porch where you stopped, and you started to… fade out, I guess," Sam explained. "But only you. Dean just kind of… looked blurry for a second when you touched him the next time."

"Oh my God…She was right…" A smile lit up Adiana's face. "It all makes sense!" Sam and Dean gave each other bewildered looks.

"Alright, I'll bite," said Dean. "What makes sense?"

"Okay so the night I showed up on your porch, I was at home in my apartment. The woman in my dreams, whatever she is, she can cross parallel universes but not without someone's help. Maybe I was perfect because I was watching Supernatural at the time. I don't know, but for some reason she chose me. Now, when we left my universe and came into this one, we created a hole to pass through." Adiana created a space between her hands and left it up for emphasis. "The thing is, this hole never closed. Somehow, Yellow Eyes found out about the hole and wants to use it to get through to my universe. There's only one problem." She dropped her hands. "You need me and the woman to get through because we were the ones that created the hole. Dean, that's why you didn't see anything until I touched you. And that's why I couldn't see the other side clearly. We'd need the woman there, too." Sam was staring at her with his mouth partially open. Dean was concentrating on the road so hard that he looked like he was trying to make it explode with his mind. Adiana turned her hands out and shrugged. "Well?" Sam was the first to recover.

"But if you were seeing your universe through this hole, shouldn't you have seen your apartment?"

"Oh…" Adiana ran a hand through her hair. "Well… well maybe the hole is more like a tunnel? Yeah! The reason I saw a market is because I was glimpsing Independence, Kansas in my universe. And the other shapes…" Her eyes went wide. "I did see my apartment. Only it was faint because it's farther away. I can't believe I've finally got this figured out." Adiana relaxed into the back seat and turned to her window. "Now if only I could discover what this woman is." If she could figure that out, maybe it would help unravel Yellow Eyes's whole master plan. She thought Leraie had mentioned that it had to do with Sam, but she couldn't quite remember.

In the front seat, Sam and Dean looked at each other. Sam opened his mouth, but Dean gave one quick shake of his head. Sam closed his mouth, frowning and gave Dean a sulky look before turning to stare out the window himself. Dean's eyes flicked up to the rearview mirror where he could see Adiana. For a second, he appeared worried, but then he reached and touched something in his pocket. That seemed to give him resolve, and when Adiana caught his eyes, he simply smiled.


	39. Heart Part I

**For my reviewers, XKaterinaNightingaleX and bonniebeast, and all those who have followed and favorited**

"So there were two ghosts haunting the exact same highway?" Adiana asked. She was sprawled out on top of a motel bed, clicking the down button on her laptop as she scrolled through search results on the screen. She clicked on one of the links. A newspaper article with the headline 'Two Killed in Car Crash.' There was a picture of a wrecked car and two faces of the people who had died: Molly McNamara and Jim Greeley.

"It happens," Dean responded. He was standing between the two beds, polishing a gun with a dirty rag. The bed opposite Adiana was covered with nearly all the weapons in their arsenal. They both been cleaning them while waiting for Sam to come back from the morgue, but Adiana had gotten sidetracked by a case Dean mentioned.

"This Greeley's ghost just tortured this woman's ghost over and over for hitting him with a car… for fifteen years?" A picture popped up of the woman's bloody body being pulled from the wreckage. Adiana didn't even flinch. The photo of the man's body though… it was like road kill. She grimaced. "Geez."

"Yup." Dean put down the handgun and picked up a slightly larger one. He started to take it apart with expert precision. "Until another hunter took care of it a week back."

"Huh." She closed that window and opened another one. Time to pull up more on the creature they'd actually be dealing with. Well, probably dealing with. That was what Sam had gone to find out. An engine rumbled outside in the parking lot, approaching their room. That had to mean Sam was back. Sure enough, the door opened a few seconds later, and Sam walked in.

"Hey," he greeted, taking off his jacket and dropping it on the back of a chair.

"Hey," Dean returned. "What's the news?"

"Well, the lawyer was pretty torn up. Mortician said it looked like a wolf attack," Sam informed him. He crossed the room and opened the refrigerator. "And his heart was gone."

"This lawyer guy the first heart-free corpse in town?"

"The first man." Sam pulled a beer out of the fridge and dragged a white, fabric-lined chair over next to the beds. "Over the past year, several women have gone missing." He turned the chair around backwards and sat in it. "Dead bodies all washed up later in the bay, too deteriorated to draw firm conclusions." Dean's hand froze on the gun.

"But no hearts?" Sam shook his head and opened his beer.

"No hearts." Dean smiled and went back to cleaning. "They were all hookers working Hunter's Point. Now, cops are trying to keep things under wrap, but they're looking for a serial killer."

"And the lunar cycle?" Dean asked right as Sam took a drink.

"Mhmm." Sam managed to get out through the mouthful of beer. He swallowed. "Yeah. Month after month, all the murders happen in the week leading up to the full moon."

"Which is this week, right?"

"Hence the lawyer."

"Awesome." Dean put down the gun and began digging through a duffel bag on the corner of his bed with a huge grin. Sam clearly found the murders much less thrilling.

"Dean, could you be a bigger geek about this?"

"I'm sorry, man, but what about 'a human by day, a freak-animal-killing-machine by moonlight' don't you understand? I mean, werewolves are badass," Dean commented with all of the enthusiasm of a kid on Christmas morning. He opened a large square box full of silver bullets. "We haven't seen one since we were kids."

"Okay, Sparky." Sam leaned against the front of the seat. "And you know what? After we kill it, we can go back to Disneyland." Dean ignored him.

"You know what the best part about it is? We already know how to bring these suckers down." He held up a bullet between two fingers. "One of these bad boys right to the heart." Adiana held out a hand, and he dropped the bullet into it. Sam scoffed at Dean's attitude and turned to Adiana for help. She was rolling the bullet between her fingers, examining the tiny etchings on the surface. She caught Sam's look and gave a tiny shrug.

"Sorry, Sam." She handed the bullet back to Dean. "Werewolves are pretty awesome." Sam sighed. Dean, however, grinned at her. She winked.

"So, what's our next move?" Dean asked his brother.

"Talk to the girl who found the body. It was his assistant. Uh…" Sam got up out of the chair and strode over to his jacket. He pulled some papers out of the pocket. "Madison Bailey. She lives a couple miles outside the city."

"Alright, let's go," Adiana said, shutting her laptop. Sam and Dean exchanged a significant look.

"Adiana, are you sure you're ready to-" Sam started, but Adiana stopped him with a hand on his arm.

"Werewolves, Sam. I am so not missing this."

* * *

"I can't believe I'm missing this," Adiana grumbled from the backseat of the Impala.

She was the only one in the car. It was parked across from Madison's condo. Interviewing someone would have been an easy task, too. However, Sam wanted to talk to her since he'd been the one at the morgue, and then Dean made some excuse about knowing more about werewolves. That might have been true, but Adiana had seen a picture of the women they were going to interview. She knew full well that Dean just wanted to be there because he thought that Madison was attractive. That didn't annoy her, but what did was their reaction when she suggested that they both go in instead of arguing about it.

They didn't want to leave her alone, something they'd been weird about lately. Obviously, that wasn't what they'd said to her, but she knew it all the same. Probably thought more demons were lurking about to snatch her away. Now that she was more wary, she was sure nothing like that could happen again. They had been being extra careful, too. Only… only she'd been getting this strange feeling lately, like someone was watching her. After what she'd gone through, she was putting it up to some post-traumatic stress, but there were times when she wasn't so sure. Maybe she shouldn't be so irked with the boys. They just wanted to keep her safe. She looked up at the house and saw Dean watching the car through one of the windows. She waved, and he gave her a kind of salute and disappeared. She flopped back in the seat. Minutes later, she heard the sound of approaching voices and sat up.

"So how'd it go?" she asked as the boys got into the car. "She as hot as her picture or what?"

"Not really," said Dean immediately, starting up the car. Sam stared at Dean incredulously.

"Not really?" he repeated. "You were practically drooling."

"Anyway, we're going to Kurt Mueller's apartment," Dean told her, in an obvious attempt to change the subject. "Stalker ex-boyfriend. Didn't like Madison's boss, and she saw him that night." Adiana shook her head at him in the mirror, but went along with it.

"So, you think he might be the werewolf?"

"Well, it's a theory," said Sam lightly.

* * *

The door swung open as Dean pushed it. He put the lock-pick back in his pocket and furtively poked his head into the apartment. After a moment, he stepped inside with Sam and Adiana on his heels. They fanned out around the rooms. It was a typical guy's apartment, only a bit neater than one might expect. A lot of car memorabilia hung on the walls and packed into shelves. There were pictures of people as well, but Adiana didn't see any with Madison. She pushed aside some of the picture frames, while behind her, in the kitchen, Dean opened the fridge.

"Anything?" Sam asked as he flipped through a picture album. Dean bent down in the refrigerator light.

"No. Nothing but leftovers and a six-pack." He shut the fridge door.

"Check the freezer. Maybe there's some human hearts behind the Haagen-Dazs or something." Adiana's eyebrows rose. A joke from Sam? It was possible he was enjoying this werewolf deal more than he let on. Or maybe something, rather, someone else had put him in a good mood. Adiana wondered. Dean reached for the freezer, but he never touched it. From another room, there was a grating sound and then squealing, followed by a crash further away. They all looked at each other, and Dean moved toward the noise. A few seconds passed and the grating sound came again. Then silence.

"Sam! Adiana!" Dean called from another room. They followed his voice out of a sliding door, which Adiana recognized as the source of the grating sound, and onto a balcony. Dean pointed at the wall next to the balcony. "Check it out." There were long claw marks gouged into the wall, heading down a ways. "This theory's looking better and better."

They turned to go inside and then from down below, a gun went off. Without even a pause, their strides turned to sprints out of the apartment and down to the street below. Unfortunately, they were too late to catch the werewolf. What they found instead was the mauled body of a police officer sticking out from behind a dumpster. Dean shoved the dumpster aside. There was blood splattered everywhere. Sam put a hand in his pocket.

"I'll call nine-one-one," he offered. Dean knelt down to look at the corpse. Adiana continued to check up and down the street, her head swiveling as she searched for any sign of movement. There was a stinging building up in her chest, and she steadied her breathing before it became dangerously fast.

"I'd say Kurt's looking more and more like our Cujo," remarked Dean while he examined the man's chest, what was left of it anyway.

"Dean, if he's out here, we better check on Madison."

* * *

Adiana wasn't left in the Impala, not with the possibility of a werewolf prowling nearby. This time, it was the stairwell inside the condo building. She kept her hand on the gun in her pocket. She wasn't sure how well she'd be able to aim considering she had to use her left hand now, but a gun was better than nothing. When she heard a door open, she turned around, hoping she wasn't going to have to explain to anyone why she was just sitting on the stairs. It was Dean.

"Hi," she greeted. She tilted her head and saw that there was no one behind him. "Where's Sam?"

"Decided to let him stay and watch the hot chick," Dean told her as he passed by. She stopped midway through standing up. What?!

"Really?" She stood up and went down the stairs a few steps. That didn't sound like Dean.

"Yeah. He needs to get laid, remember? He won't take the chance unless I hand it to him." He held the front door open for her. The corners of Dean's mouth were too tight, she noticed when she brushed past. He was lying.

"Uh-huh. What, did he beat you at rock-paper-scissors or something?"

"No," he said indignantly and let the door slam behind him. Adiana smiled.

"One of these days Dean, you will learn to stop using scissors. So, where are we going?" she asked before he could reply. Dean bit back whatever he was going to say and pulled out a slip of paper.

"A body shop. Kurt's work."

* * *

Adiana stared at the map in her lap and then above the street, searching for road signs. She was fairly sure she knew where they were, but she wanted to check. She loved San Francisco, but this city did not have enough signs in her opinion. Next to her, Dean had his phone up to his ear and was talking into it.

"Let me guess. You're sitting on her couch like a stiff, trying to think of something to say," he guessed. Adiana rolled her eyes and went back to searching the map. There. That was the street they had just passed. "No, he hasn't been at work all week. But, because I'm good, and I mean really, really good, I have a line on where he might be. What's she wearing?" Sam evidently hung up on him, because then Dean shoved the phone back in his pocket, chuckling. "Oh, Sammy."

"Sometimes you are the worst older brother," Adiana said, through a smile.

"What are you talkin' about? I am the best older brother."

"Take the next left." Adiana folded the map up and surveyed him with doubt marking her features. "Sam hardly knows what to do with himself if I give him a hug. You really think he's going to try and make a move on Madison?"

"No, but she might make a move on him. And I'm telling you, he is set to go off faster than a kid his first time."

"Hmmm." She slipped off her shoes, kicked her feet up onto the dashboard. Dean's jaw tensed, but he didn't tell her to put her feet down. "Poor Sam. That boy needs some serious help."

"You're telling me." Adiana watched him patiently. Dean glanced at her and did a double take.

"Don't even."

"I didn't say anything." Adiana pretended to pout, but she had to bite the inside of her lip to keep from grinning. The Impala pulled to a stop at a traffic light, and Dean gave her a long look caught somewhere between being amused and aggravated. Adiana broke the eye contact and reclined against Dean's shoulder. "Someone doesn't like to share."

"Not with my brother!" A car horn honked behind them, and Dean took his foot off the brake. He spun the steering wheel, and the car turned left. "That's just… gross." Adiana would have stopped teasing him like this a long time ago, but his responses were just too good to pass up. She'd found very few things that made him quite as uncomfortable as the thought of sharing her with Sam, whom she was very careful not to make these jokes in front of.

"Speaking of sharing." Adiana pointed with one foot to the right side of the road. Coming up on her side was a strip club that one of the men at the body shop said Kurt frequented. Adiana took her feet off the dashboard and jammed them back into her shoes. She'd never been to a strip club. This should be… interesting. Dean parked the Impala, and they sat staring up at a blinking yellow sign that proclaimed 'The Golden Dancers.' "Well… are you going to be awkward about this or are we going to see some strippers?"

"Um, what?" Dean looked down as Adiana tipped her face upwards.

"Please, you're never going to keep an eye on Kurt." She shrugged and waved a hand towards the club. "If he's here, I'll watch him, and you can watch him and the girls."

"R-really?" Dean was studying her as though he'd never quite seen her before.

"Yeah, really. Dean, if I was going to get jealous about other women, this relationship would have lasted, ooh, maybe five minutes. I trust you enough to go get a dance." She reached up and touched his cheek. "I know you're coming home with me at the end of the night…" Her fingers trailed from his cheek and she tugged the front of his shirt. "At which point, I will be bleaching all of your clothing. Come on. Let's go before my common sense catches up to me." She slid over in the seat to open her door before hoisting herself out of the Impala.

"Babe, sometimes I think I don't deserve you," Dean said when he walked up next to her.

"You're going to use that line when we're about to go into a strip club? Really? Should have saved it," she joked… mostly. She would rather have the ego boost after they left rather than before. While she was acting completely cool with the whole situation, there was a part of her that was not looking forward to watching Dean pant after women that were much more beautiful than she was. But, she would do her best to ignore that part. Maybe Kurt wouldn't even be there, and she wouldn't have to worry about it.

But, of course, he was. Kurt was sitting right next to a dancing woman on a platform; his eyes were glued to her every move. Adiana perched on the empty table behind him. She shooed Dean away to the opposite side of the platform, so that she wasn't right next to him. That made it much easier to focus on Kurt and ignore whatever it was Dean was doing. Plus, this way they had both sides of the room covered in case Kurt decided to move. He didn't though. He just sat there, which was fortunate for her, because there were plenty of distractions during which he might have vanished.

First, there were the strippers that approached her. There were only a few, and once Adiana declined all of their offers, no more came her way. Then, there were the men. It wasn't that she was flooded with attention, but they were staked out at the club for a long time. Her outfit should have made it clear enough that she didn't work here, but for most of them that didn't seem to matter. Every once in a while some man would drift over, and Adiana would have to find some way of fending him off. The only perk of this was that she didn't lack for drinks. Considering they were working a case, she tried not to drink too much. 'Tried' was the key word. By the time Kurt got up to leave, she was starting to feel tipsy. She stared down at her table as Kurt passed her by, and then slid out of her chair to follow him. Her feet tingled with each step she took. It was a good thing she was going now, before another man showed up and offered to buy her another drink. Someone held the door open for her when she got there.

"Thanks. Oh, hey Dean."

"Hey, how you feeling?" he asked as they walked briskly through the parking lot. Adiana dragged her eyes away from Kurt.

"Fine. Why?" Dean scanned her face and then went back to tracking Kurt.

"Looked like you had a lot of drinks."

"I didn't drink all of them. I'd be plastered otherwise, and that would have been a bad idea." She reached the Impala and pulled the door open. "How are you feeling?" She sat down and yanked the heavy door shut. Even though Dean was watching Kurt get into his car, he was smiling.

"Awesome." Adiana giggled.

"Strip clubs and werewolves, and you are a ball of sunshine." When he grinned at her, she continued to laugh and found she couldn't stop. "Our lives… are so strange," she choked out.

"Yes, they are," Dean agreed as he started the car to follow Kurt out of the parking lot. He glimpsed Adiana biting down on her knuckles to try and contain her laughter, and chuckled himself. "C'mere." He held out a hand, and Adiana scooted across the seat. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder as she giggled into his chest. "Someone's a little drunk."

"Maybe a bit." To keep tears from streaming down her face, she took really deep breaths and wiped her eyes. "Woooo..." She let out a rush of air and felt much less giddy. Time to focus on a more serious topic, even if she didn't feel much like being serious. "So, where do you think Kurt is headed?" Dean's eyes darted around him as he took in exactly what section of the city they were driving through.

"Uh, his apartment's this way." Adiana nodded.

"That would make sense."

"You good?"

"Good. As long as Kurt doesn't wolf out in the next hour, I'll be up for this."

He didn't 'wolf out' the in the next hour or the next. Kurt went back to his apartment and didn't leave. Dean parked the car across the street from the entrance, and together they could watch the front door and his balcony. Adiana almost fell asleep, but was jolted out of it when Dean tried to stretch his legs and jostled her by accident. She was glad it happened. If she missed a chance to see a werewolf, she'd never forgive herself. At her suggestion, they got out and stood outside the Impala for a while. The city lights began to turn on as the sun set and the sky went dark. The city itself only went as dark as cities ever go, creating a kind of orange glow against the sky. A light went on in Kurt's apartment, and then, out of nowhere, the glass of the balcony door shattered. The apartment light went out.

"What the-" Dean spluttered as he stared up at the apartment. Adiana gave him one wide-eyed glance before they both took off across the street. Dean picked the lock of the apartment building with a composure that still amazed her, and they flew up the three flights of stairs. Kurt's apartment door was shut, but Dean slammed against it. The door flew open, and they ran in.

Kurt was in the main room. He was lying on the floor, his eyes open and vacant. Fresh blood seeped into the carpet around him. His chest was torn open with the werewolf crouched over him. It appeared human from behind. The creature stood up and whipped around. Adiana recognized Madison from her picture, only she wasn't quite the same. Her eyes had turned electric blue, and her teeth had lengthened down over her lips. Blood stained those teeth and the edges of her long, brown hair.

Dean raised his gun, but when the werewolf saw him, she leapt at him. He went flying across the room and slammed hard into the wall. His gun spun across the floor away from him. As the werewolf crawled towards him faster than a human could move, Adiana pulled out her gun, but it felt unwieldy in her left hand. She was afraid to shoot so close to Dean. There was a chance that startling the werewolf would make it back away. She aimed over its head and pulled the trigger. The bang rang in her ears. The bullet went wide, but it had done what she intended. The werewolf straightened up and backed off. It eyed her warily. Adiana moved forward, but at an angle, trying to force it away from Dean. She thought that he might have passed out when he hit the wall, because he wasn't moving. With a hunched back, it shifted away from her, growling. Just a little farther. It lunged at her, and Adiana squeezed the trigger. The whole weight of the werewolf landed on her chest. They went crashing into a glass coffee table, which shattered beneath their combined weight. Adiana expected fangs to rip into her, but instead the werewolf reeled away. As the world went fuzzy, she noticed blood dripping from the beast's shoulder. Her bullet had hit. That was her last thought before everything turned to black.

* * *

When Adiana woke up, she hurt a great deal all over and her vision blurred until she sat up. She hissed and pulled her hands away from the floor. She'd cut herself on some of the glass. She looked around the room and tried to gather her thoughts. Dean. Her eyes found him, still out cold on the floor. She forced herself to her feet and walked far enough to kneel beside him. Gently, she lifted his head. She couldn't feel any blood, and he was breathing.

"Dean," she said quietly. Shaking him would be bad if he had a concussion, so she pinched his arm. "Dean." This time a groan answered her. She let out a breath of relief. His eyes opened, and he blinked several times. "Welcome back." He shifted, and she held onto his shoulders as he sat up. He groaned again.

"You okay?"

"Yeah." She kissed him briefly.

"What happened?"

"I shot at the wall to get her away from you, then she jumped at me. I… I tried to shoot her." Adiana's cheeks tinged pink. She was embarrassed that she missed what should have been an easy shot. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I only got her shoulder." Dean caught her hand, and then Adiana remembered that it had blood all over it.

"This doesn't look okay."

"I'll be fine. It's just cuts from the glass. The coffee table broke." With that expression on his face, she certainly wasn't going to tell him that it broke because she fell on it. She pulled her hand back and gave him a reassuring smile. "Shouldn't you call Sam?" Dean hesitated as though he had more to say, but just ended up nodding.

"Good idea." He took out his phone and put it up to his ear.

"Put it on speaker," she requested. He pressed a button and then held the phone out between them. It rang only once, and Sam picked up.

"_Dean, you okay?" _

"Yeah, now that I'm conscious. The werewolf knocked us out."

"_Us? Is Adiana okay?"_

"I'm fine," Adiana assured him.

"Sam, it's Madison," Dean blurted out.

"_What?"_

"Yeah, awesome job of keeping an eye on her." Adiana shook her head at Dean, but he was staring down at the phone. Several footsteps sounded over the speaker, and a door creaked.

"_Dean, I've been here the whole time. She's in bed asleep." _

"Well, she wasn't an hour ago. Check her shoulder. Adiana tagged her with a silver bullet." Dean hung up without giving Sam a chance to respond. He helped Adiana up, and together they left the apartment.

* * *

Dean knocked loudly on Madison's door. Sam opened it for them so quickly that he must have been waiting right next to it. He was visibly upset. His eyes had a glassy and pensive quality to them, and his fingers were white from clutching some book. Behind him, Madison was sitting tied to a chair. Her face was sullen, with mingled fear and resignation. White gauze had been wrapped around her shoulder. As Sam closed the door, Adiana saw a glimpse of a man's face peering at them from the opposite condo door.

"How you doing?" Dean asked her in a tone that barely concealed his anger. "My head feels great, thanks." Sam stepped between them.

"We've gotta talk," Sam murmured. He steered Dean into another room, with Adiana trailing right behind. Not wanting to leave Madison completely alone, he closed the door between the rooms only most of the way, and then he faced them. "She says she has no idea what I'm talking about."

"She's lying," Dean spat at once.

"Or maybe she really doesn't know she's changing, you know? Maybe…" Sam ran a hand through his hair, which was already more than a little wild, and shrugged. "Maybe when the creature takes over, she blacks out." He looked at Dean hopefully, but Dean was not having any of it.

"Like a really hot Incredible Hulk," Dean said in a deadpan manner. "Come on, dude. She ganked her boss and her ex-boyfriend." He raised two of his fingers for emphasis. "That doesn't sound rash and unconscious."

"Yeah, but what if it was, Dean? I mean…" Sam's tongue flicked over his lip as he thought. "What if some animal part of her brain saw both those guys as threats? Hell, the cop too."

"What are you, the Dog Whisperer now?"

"Dean, just let him talk," Adiana pleaded. She wrung her bandaged hands once and winced as they twinged. It was obvious how hard this was for Sam. If Sam was able to come up with some kind of explanation for this that meant less people ended up dead, then she was willing to listen. Dean frowned at her.

"Adiana, she's a monster. We can't feel sorry for her."

"Maybe I understand her," Sam pointed out in a strained voice. Dean didn't have anything to say to that. Adiana bit down on her lip and looked away sadly. It was no use to tell Sam that he wasn't a monster. She knew he'd only pretend to listen to her. Once he let that comment sink in, Sam held up the book. It was John Winchester's journal. "Look, there might be another way we can get the job done without having to waste her."

"Are you thinking what I think you're thinking?" Dean asked while Sam flipped through the journal. Whatever Sam was thinking, it was obvious Dean already thought it was a bad idea.

"Dad's theory." Sam stopped on a page and read out loud. "Lycanthropy might have a cure if you kill the werewolf who bit you, severing the bloodline."

"Might have a cure, meaning-" Dean stretched out his arms. "-who the hell knows?"

"It's worth a shot." Sam didn't sound upset anymore. He sounded angry. Dean's shoulders tensed defensively. Adiana had the feeling this was headed for a full-blown fight and mentally scrambled to find a reasonable solution.

"We don't even know where to start looking, alright?" said Dean. "I mean, the puppy that bit her could be anyone, anywhere. It could've been years ago." Sam straightened up. His head jerked back towards the room where Madison was captive.

"No. I don't think so." He walked away, and Adiana and Dean glanced at each other before tailing him. "Madison, when were you mugged?" She peered up at Sam with her mouth closed. Her lips were being held together so tightly that they began to turn white. "Please. It's important, alright? Just answer the question." Sam put on one of his puppy dog faces. As always, it worked.

"About a month ago," Madison admitted.

"Did you see the guy?"

"No. He grabbed me from behind."

"Did he bite you?" Madison blinked in surprise.

"How did you know that?" Sam gave Dean a quick 'I-told-you-so' look that vanished as his eyes landed back on Madison.

"Where?"

"On the back of my neck." Sam made a show of setting down his gun so that Madison would know he wasn't armed. He brushed away the hair from the back of her neck. There were teeth mark-shaped scars raised up on her skin where she was bitten. They were pink and stood starkly against her otherwise pale skin.

"Oh, that's just a love bite," Dean murmured. Sam let the hair fall. "Believe me that could have been a lot worse. Where were you at the time?"

"Walking home from a friend's loft."

"Let me guess. Not too far from Hunter's Point?" Sam asked. Madison nodded. Sam walked around Dean, and this time Dean and Adiana just went with him into the other room. Adiana was the one to close the door most of the way. She chewed her lip as she watched Madison through the crack.

"The same place where those other murders happened," Sam continued the second Adiana had let go of the door. "I'm telling you, it's a werewolf's hunting grounds."

"Maybe, but that doesn't mean it's gonna be out there tonight," Dean replied.

"It's the right time of the lunar cycle. Look, I know it's a long shot." Dean must have sensed that Sam was going to go off on another tangent, so he tried a different tactic.

"Hey, you're forgetting something. Maddie's probably gonna turn soon, alright? We can't just let her take off to an all-you-can-eat buffet."

"I'll stay with her," proposed Sam. Dean clearly thought this was yet another bad idea.

"And if she busts loose?" Sam gazed at the floor. "Sam?"

"I'll do it." His voice was just above a whisper. Dean sighed, his jaw losing some of its tension.

"Sam."

"I'll shoot her, alright?" Sam looked up at him fiercely. "But Dean, I need you to go out there. At least go look for the thing. We can save this girl. Please?" Dean stared at him with a guarded expression. He wasn't saying no, but was rather trying to think his way around Sam's pleading. Noting that, Sam went to his next best option. "Adiana?"

Adiana was still wrapped up in thought, studying what she could see of Madison. She knew that if she said yes, Dean would be pretty much forced to go along. What to do? This could be Madison's chance, and she didn't seem like a frightening killing machine… anymore. Adiana had, however, seen Madison when she was a werewolf, and she knew that something like that couldn't be left to roam around. She wished she wasn't being forced to make this choice, but she was so she'd better decide. Well, Sam had a soft heart, but he wasn't stupid. If he really thought Madison stood a chance, then it couldn't hurt to try.

"I'll go," she offered. Dean knew he was cornered, and he gave in.

"Fine."

* * *

Adiana crept behind Dean on silent feet, watching behind them. They stuck to the shadows, which was actually very easy. At night, Hunter's Point was full of shadows. The street they were on was dark with only a few dim yellow lights to keep them from stumbling around blindly or being forced to use flashlights. They'd been combing the area since sundown, searching for any sign of a werewolf. Dean kept his eyes forward, and Adiana checked behind. They had seen nothing, and both were getting restless.

When the hooker passed by them, Adiana thought nothing of it. After all, she'd seen plenty as the night went on, some doing things she'd rather never think about seeing again. Then, she heard the howl. It had come from down the street in the direction the hooker had been walking. She and Dean didn't stick to the shadows anymore. They ran straight into the street, chasing the phantom howl. Ahead of them, the hooker burst from an alley, running as fast as she could in her too tall heels. The werewolf shot out after her and knocked her to the ground.

"Hey!" Adiana yelled.

She felt a moment of déjà vu as the werewolf stood up and turned, just as Madison had a short while ago, except Dean was a much better shot. The silver bullet hit the werewolf right in the chest, and it crumpled to the ground. As they closed in, Adiana recognized the face of the man she had seen in the condo across from Madison's. The hooker, her face a mask of horror, got to her feet and continued to run.

"Hey, don't mention it!" Dean called after her as Adiana crouched by the werewolf. It was coughing badly from blood-stained lips. Its fangs shortened, and its eyes lost their fierce blue color. He was only a very scared man.

"What happened? Where am I?" he whimpered. "Help – help me." He clutched at Adiana's arm, but there was barely any strength in his grip. "Oh God. Oh my God." Adiana didn't know what to do. What did you say to someone about to die? Her whole body froze up, and she gaped at him. Her fingers made tiny compulsive patting motions on the man's arm.

"Alright, easy, Glen," said Dean. He knelt beside Adiana. "Take it easy."

And then Glen died. He just died. One moment Adiana was holding a person, and then it was like he was a rag doll collapsed in her hands. This didn't feel real. She couldn't think, couldn't move. A buzzing rang in her ears. She barely felt Dean's hand on her arm.

"Adiana?"

She didn't move. Dean's hand touched her face, turned it towards him. Time felt like molasses. Then, she looked into his eyes, and time righted itself. She burst into tears.

"Woah. Hey now." If she hadn't felt so utterly terrible, Adiana might have laughed at the note of panic that flashed across Dean's face. She could barely see him through the tears that blurred her vision. She rocked backwards and landed on the pavement. Her hands covered her eyes like that could block the image of Glen's face from her memory.

"I'm s-sorry. I'm sorry," she sobbed, not even sure who she was apologizing to. The words came spilling out of her mouth. "I'm s-sorry."

"Don't be. Hey." One of Dean's hands gripped her shoulder, and he used the other to peel back a hand from her face. She blinked up at his concerned expression. He was completely still, opposed to her heaving shoulders and trembling body. She realized that now, that she was shaking. "If we didn't kill him, he would have killed more people."

"I kn-know that," she snuffled. "It's the-the way he looked at m-me, like I could h-help him. He w-was so scared, and I just sat there." She pulled a hand through her hair and gulped back a sob that made her shudder. "A-and then he died a-and I was the last p-person, I should've… should've…"

"Don't go down that road, Adiana. It's where Sam lives, and you can see how happy it's made him." Dry humor when she was having a breakdown. It was so very Dean that she gave a hiccup that was almost a giggle and tipped forward against his chest. His arms instantly enveloped her. She breathed deeply, attempting to calm herself down. "Don't beat yourself up. You did your job. That's what matters."

But it wasn't, Adiana wanted to say. The job couldn't be the only thing to matter, but she didn't voice that. She knew Dean wouldn't understand. He just repeated things to her that she'd heard him say plenty to Sam, only she'd never quite understood before. She assumed the difference in views came from a clash of personalities, but it wasn't that. It was how they handled the job. If she let it get to her, she would be eaten up from the inside out like Sam was all the time. She didn't want that. She wanted to find some middle ground to stand on. That would have to start with her accepting the fact that she had done what she could. Next time, she would do better. The tears had stopped streaming from her eyes. She sniffed and brushed her cheeks.

"Babe?" Adiana put on a smile and gazed up at Dean. She spoke with a much more level tone than she had when she'd last opened her mouth.

"Yeah. I'm better. Thanks." She wiped the tears away from her cheeks with the back of one hand.

"You sure?" Dean appeared so relieved, that Adiana would have had to say yes regardless of how she felt. Yet, she did feel better.

"Positive." She kissed him and thought that assured him more than anything. When she got up, she made herself look at Glen's body, taking strength from Dean's arm around her waist. The corpse gave her a queasy feeling, but nothing worse. "I hope this worked, for Sam's sake."

"Me too." Dean stared at Glen. "Otherwise I might end up sharing you with Sam, whether I want to or not." Adiana smiled for real this time.

"In that case…" Dean's hold on her tightened. Adiana shook her head and grinned to herself. Too easy.


	40. Heart Part II

**Many thanks to my reviewers XKaterinaNightingaleX and bonniebeast! Please note that updates will be delayed since the play I'm in opens next Monday and runs for two weeks. **

**WARNING: This chapter contains sexual material. If this is not your thing, just scroll past that bit and pick up at the line break. **

Adiana stifled a yawn and rested her back against a kitchen chair. Sunrise was approaching, but it could not come fast enough. The night had been a very long one. After killing Glen, they had staked out the front of Madison's condo the next evening to make sure she was no longer a werewolf. Madison had seen them though and, much to everyone's surprise, invited them inside to wait out the night. She understood now that they had only been trying to help. With the four of them hanging around, Adiana had thought the time might pass quickly, but it instantly became apparent that would not be the case.

Madison and Sam both sat tensely on the couch, not saying a word to each other and obviously worrying that she might turn into a werewolf at a moment's notice. Dean made the situation worse by laying his gun right out on the kitchen table like a warning. Adiana threw him several looks, pleading and threatening both, to put the gun back in his pocket. She was sure Madison was nervous enough without having to stare at the weapon, and Sam went a shade paler every time he peeked at it. Dean ignored her, and eventually she gave up rather than voice the request aloud into the silence.

Her feet had fallen asleep. She jiggled them, and when that didn't work, she stood up. She shuffled past the bedroom, glimpsing the torn-up walls from when Sam had been forced to lock werewolf Madison in, and went to the window. The sky was definitely brightening. The stars were fading, and the deep black color of night was turning to a navy blue. As she stood her vigil at the window, footsteps sounded behind her. Adiana could tell by the waft of perfume that it was Madison. Adiana glanced at the woman and gave her a brief smile, which was returned. Dean came up behind her not long after, and then Sam, so all of them stood staring out at the changing sky. When the golden crest of the sun peeked over the horizon, Madison finally spoke.

"Does… does this mean it worked?" she asked, as if she hadn't dared to hope that she would see another day. Sam had hardly ever appeared so relieved.

"Yeah," he answered. "I think so."

"Oh God, thank you. Thank you so much." Madison whipped around and gave Sam a tight hug. Sam twitched in surprise, but then he gingerly returned the gesture. After a few seconds passed, Adiana wondered if she should just grab Dean, so they could duck out. Of course, Dean wasn't that tactful. He cleared his throat, and Sam and Madison pulled apart. "You too, Dean. Thank you," Madison added. "And Adiana."

"Aw, don't mention it," Dean replied. Instead of glaring at Dean, Adiana made herself smile at Madison.

"We're glad you're okay," Adiana stated. Then, there was an extremely awkward pause in which no one seemed to know what to say. Since she'd had all the uncomfortable silence she could take for one night, Adiana took Dean's arm and pulled slightly to indicate that they should leave. Sam and Madison obviously needed some time alone.

"Right, so… we're just gonna head back to the hotel and…" Dean couldn't seem to think of the right thing to say, so Adiana jumped in before anything embarrassing came out of his mouth.

"Sleep," she finished for him. She began to back out of the room. "Bye, guys." Right before they left, Dean fist-pumped the air once. This time, Adiana rolled her eyes. "Subtle," she muttered once the door was closed.

"What?" said Dean, grinning. "We saved the girl, and maybe with a little action, Sammy won't be such a stiff all the time." Adiana shook her head and smirked.

"You are – Oh, never mind." She sighed. "Let's get some food, huh? I'm starving."

They grabbed Chinese take-out on the way back to the motel, since Adiana was too hungry to cook a meal. There was a western movie marathon that had been on all week, so they watched that while they ate stretched out on one of the beds. Westerns weren't really Adiana's favorite type of movie, with the exception of _Blazing Saddles_ which she supposed didn't really count, but she knew that Dean really enjoyed them. If he could put up with some of the shows she made him sit through, she supposed she could give him this one. She did, however, make the mistake of saying that she thought a sword fight was much more interesting than a gunslinger showdown.

"All I'm saying is there are more possibilities with a sword fight. With cowboys, it's _bam_! That's it. You're dead," said Adiana, in exasperation. She fished some more lo mein out of the white plastic container in her hand. Dean had already finished off everything else. "Where's the suspense in that?"

"Look, swords are really cool, but cowboys are freaking awesome," Dean defended. He pointed at the television screen. "You got one guy, no armor and only one shot to make it. That is suspense. And they nail the bad guy every time." Adiana frowned and swallowed her mouthful of food.

"Exactly!" She sat up and waved at the screen. "There's no battle or blood or struggle. With a swordfight, a hundred things could go wrong. With a showdown-" She shrugged, looking at him over her shoulder. "-the worst that could happen is basically your gun gets jammed and you get shot, which never happens to the cowboys."

"And nothing bad happens to the good guy in a swordfight either."

"That's beside the point."

"Is it?"

"That's it." Adiana set down the lo mein container on a bedside table. "There's only one way to settle this." She tossed one of her chopsticks towards Dean, and he reflexively caught it. He cocked his head and looked at her curiously. "I challenge you to a duel, sir."

"Seriously?"

"I do not jest, sir." Adiana was smiling. She got off the bed and stood with her own chopstick held out like a sword. There were very few things she would dare to challenge Dean on, but she guessed he didn't have very much sword-fighting experience. That would level the playing field a little. Besides, she'd trained with him using other weapons. She knew how he'd move, and she could use that to her advantage. Dean's eyes were amused.

"You won't win, Adiana."

"Stalling, sir? That is a tactic for knaves and cowards." It was the right thing to say. Some of the amusement went out of Dean's eyes. They glittered dangerously, and Adiana backed up a step as he sat up.

"No one calls Dean Winchester a coward."

"Then…" Adiana flourished one hand upwards and held the chopstick out with the other. "On guard."

It was a testament to how well she'd been taught to handle a knife that Adiana lasted as long as she did. She slashed and parried and stabbed and dodged and rolled, defending herself the best she could with her "sword." No part of the room was safe. Chairs were knocked over. The beds were bounced across. The table was danced around to avoid one another. Dean was toying with her at first, but Adiana never had that luxury because she knew she would lose. She could tell, though, when he became more concentrated that he was starting to take her more seriously as an opponent. Not surprisingly, both of their chopsticks snapped. Adiana's had gone first. She'd thrown herself across one of the beds and snatched her hairbrush off the table as a replacement. When Dean's had broken, he snagged the television remote. Since these were both much heavier than the chopsticks, the duel became less about trying to hit each other and more about trying to knock the objects out of their hands.

In the end, it was her wrist that failed her. With the continual shock of impact, the muscles had gone sore and then weak. A particularly well-placed blow from Dean's remote, and her hairbrush went flying. It clattered away, hitting one of the overturned chairs. Adiana's skin shined from the duel, beads of sweat trickling down the back of her neck. Her chest heaved with the effort of each breath. Dean was breathing heavily too, but unlike her, he was grinning. He placed the tip of the remote over her heart.

"I win," he said calmly, stepping closer to her. Adiana regarded him, considering the situation. Even though she'd expected this, she didn't like losing. Then, she had a thought. There was something that might make her feel better about this. A slow, impish smile spread across her lips.

"No, you don't," she countered.

"No?" Dean chuckled. "Babe, I hate to break it to you, but you are sword-less."

"So? A duel doesn't end when one person loses a sword." Dean's forehead wrinkled as his eyebrows rose. His eyes darted back and forth, while he thought of what he could have missed. Adiana's smile stretched. "It ends when I yield." Dean stared at her, and she saw understanding dawn across his face. His grin was back, and it was wicked.

"Yield?" As if. Adiana pressed forward against the remote, lifting up on her heels so their lips were nearly touching. Her hands gently pressed against his chest.

"No," she purred.

Adiana's eyelids fluttered shut as Dean closed the heated space between them and kissed her. She heard the remote drop harmlessly behind her, freeing his hands to hold her and pull her body against his, one at her waist and another buried in her long hair. His lips tasted sweet, even sweeter when heady, passionate kisses turned into hot, open-mouthed ones. She felt his fingers brush the skin on her back where the hem of her shirt had lifted up. They trailed almost lazily to the plain of her belly before snagging the fabric and drawing the shirt up. Adiana rocked back on her heels, breaking the kiss so that he could toss the shirt away. She backed up a step, then another. A bed bumped the back of her legs, and she sat down. As she scooted backwards towards the pillow, he yanked off his own shirt.

Watching Dean come towards her with dark promise in his eyes was enough to make Adiana shudder. This was a sight that never got old. It made her feel beautiful and filled her with desire. Their lips met again, and hard muscle pressed against soft curves. Her fingers slipped over his shoulders, gripping the flexing muscles in his back as he bit down on her bottom lip. She was left gasping for breath when he finally moved his lips away from hers. They traced her jaw line instead and found her throat. His nose was buried in her golden hair as he teased the sensitive skin with gentle nips until it was a delicate pink shade. His fingertips brushed roughly over her ribs and up and up until he cupped her breasts. He squeezed them through her bra, making languid circles around her already hard nipples. She instinctively arched up into his touch, and he took advantage of the movement to unclip her bra in the back. She let go of him long enough to let it slide off her arms and onto the floor.

Then, it was the callused skin of his hand touching her breasts, molding the heavy flesh. He ran his thumbs over the tops of her breasts before taking her nipples between his fingers and pinching them. They hardened further like stone, and Adiana moaned in the back of her throat. When he pulled on one, she felt the response below – the sudden ache and the wetness between her thighs. His mouth burned a trail over the hollow of her neck, coming lower and closer to where she wanted those lips. He was moving slowly though, on purpose she knew, paying careful attention to each patch of skin. One of her hands threaded through his hair as she thought to pull him to her breast, but no, she was trying to not show weakness, not this early. He just made it so difficult. Instead, she arched her back a little more, baring her breasts for him in hopes that he would take the hint. He smirked and glanced up at Adiana.

"Babe, anytime you want to y-" Dean choked off as she rocked her hips up against him, pressing against his erection. His whole body tensed, and she shifted against him again for good measure. Adiana managed a smile and shook her head. Determination crept behind his hungry look. He leaned down and kissed the top of a breast. Nimbly, he moved along the curve; his tongue darting out to taste the skin until he reached the nipple. His tongue flicked across the tip, once, twice letting her squirm before taking her into his mouth. She ached when he sucked; her inner muscles pulsed in response, and now it was she who wanted to feel the friction of his hips. How could anything feel so good and hurt so much at the same time? She tilted her head back and mewled with pleasure.

When he directed his attention to the other breast, Dean's free hand moved down to the front of her jeans. He undid the button and zipper, which was just enough to fit his hand inside. He cupped her mound, letting the damp fabric of her panties wet his fingers. A sound came from his throat, half groan and half growl. His thumb found her clit, and he rubbed it back and forth. Adiana's hips rocked against his hand, but he put the other hand down on one side of them to hold her still. Not fair, she almost whined. She gritted her teeth instead and waited.

Dean sat up, and while Adiana no longer had his mouth on her, she could feel his cock through their jeans, hard against her thigh. Her eyes were wide and hazy, suddenly afraid he'd stop, but he didn't. He was only tugging down her jeans and panties. She lifted her hips to help him, and shivered as the cool air met her heat. His hands traced the inside of her legs up to her thighs, which fell open when prompted. He guided one leg up over his shoulder. Left with nothing to hold, Adiana gripped the cover of the bed in both hands as she rested back on her elbows. His fingers teased her lower lips, and then slipped them apart with one deft finger, leaving her entrance exposed to him. He pressed a kiss to the wet, pink flesh and took a moment. Adiana waited, nervous that if she moved, he would take longer. She looked down at him with pleading eyes, biting hard on her trembling lower lip. His eyes met hers, and she saw a smugness flickering there. He didn't say anything, though. Instead, he dipped his head down and forced his tongue deep inside of her sex.

Adiana squealed and shuddered, falling back against the bed. Dean moved his tongue as deep as he could and swirled it around. He withdrew and forced it into her again and again. Adiana cried out, as her inner muscles tightened. If he hadn't been holding her down, she would be rocking up against him. He took a deep breath, breathing her scent. Adiana twitched desperately. She needed more of him, needed to feel him deep inside her. Fortunately, Dean seemed to be able to sense her needs without her having to voice them. He withdrew his tongue to circle it over her clit and thrust two fingers into her instead. He groaned as her wet heat enveloped them.

"God," Adiana panted. Dean took his mouth from her clit. His lips and chin were glistening.

"You can call me Dean," he told her in a gravelly voice. She couldn't even think straight enough to make a clever comment back. Dean thrust his fingers into her more forcefully, in and out. Adiana's eyelids shut and a series of animalistic sounds escaped from her lips. Dean was gleaming with sweat from the effort of keeping her still. Now though, his hand no longer held down her hips, but let her meet his fingers thrust for thrust. She could feel an orgasm building up like hot coils inside her. So close.

All of a sudden, Dean was gone. His fingers slid out of her; his warmth drew away. Adiana just lay there in shock for half a second. Then, her eyes opened, and she scrabbled at bed sheets to sit up. He was standing on the side of the bed, yanking his belt off. Oh, that was all. Hurry, she willed him. She needed him inside her to stop the ache. He dropped his jeans and boxers to the floor, stepping out of them. His cock was swollen; the tip already wet. Her tongue unconsciously ran over her lips. He removed his wallet from the pocket of his jeans and took out a condom. She watched him unwrap the foil and roll it on with growing anticipation. When he came back to bed, she caressed his back, looking up into his eyes, and he… did nothing. His expression was unreadable, though she searched it. Adiana shifted her hips wantonly against him; his cock sliding against her wetness, but he held her down like before. She couldn't move. She whimpered, and a pained expression crossed his face. She could feel his muscles were all bunched up and tight under her hands. It was clearly taking him a lot of effort just to stay immobile, so why… why… Oh. Right.

"Dean, I yield," Adiana groaned desperately. "I yield." But she didn't need to repeat herself. The first admission was more than enough for Dean. He embedded himself deep inside of her and thrust repetitively, filling her with greed. She wrapped her legs around him to allow him deeper and kissed his lips, swallowing the sounds they both were making. All they could hear was the soft clap of flesh meeting flesh and gunfire from the shoot-out on the television screen as they finished a showdown of their own.

* * *

_Bam! Bam! Bam! _Someone pounding on the motel room door dragged Adiana from her sleep. She scrunched her eyes shut tighter and yawned. Next to her, Dean shifted on the bed. _Bam! Bam! Bam!_ Dean murmured something unintelligible and drew his arm from around her waist. The bed creaked as he got out of it. Adiana pulled the blankets up higher to cover her bare shoulders, still feeling very sleepy. Dean got on his pants before he opened the door.

"She turned." That was Sam's voice, breathless and fearful. Adiana opened her eyes and blinked several times. She sat up, rubbing her eyes groggily and keeping one hand wrapped around her breast to hold up the blankets.

"What?" Dean asked, partly asleep himself.

"I couldn't grab her in time." Sam stepped into the room, gripping one of his arms and walking in a random pattern, unable to keep motionless.

"We'll find her, Sammy." Dean was already alert. Years of practice, Adiana guessed. If they needed to go search for Madison, she should get dressed and quickly. Technically, Sam had seen her naked after that one game of strip poker they played, but she would feel awkward walking around in front of him with no clothes anyway. He needed to turn around for a minute, so she could pick up her clothes. However, Sam was too caught up for her to interrupt.

"I already called Bobby. He doesn't know anything, except he knew severing the bloodline wouldn't work. They all say it's impossible to reverse it." Sam started backing up towards the door.

"How come she didn't turn when we were with her?"

"Dean-"

"So, what, you put her to bed and then she wolfed out?" Dean frowned thoughtfully as he tugged his shirt on over his head. "Maybe she's gotta be asleep to turn."

"What the hell does it matter, Dean?" Sam shouted. He sounded annoyed, but Adiana figured that most of it was nerves. "Look, we've gotta find some way to help her, some legend we missed." His hand was resting on the doorknob, anxious to start hunting for Madison. Adiana was trying to take advantage of his distracted conversation with Dean to inch towards her pants on the floor.

"If there was, don't you think someone we know would've known it?" Dean leaned up against a wall and sighed. "Sammy, I don't think we've got a choice here anymore."

"What?"

"I hate to say it. She's a sweet girl, but part of her is-"

"Evil?" Sam took a step towards Dean, his eyes narrowed. Dean looked at him with resolve.

"Yeah."

"Yeah. That's what they say about me, Dean. So, me, you won't kill, but her you're just gonna blow away?" Sam's foot knocked into a chair, and he jerked back. He glanced at it flipped over on the floor with a hairbrush lying next to it. For the first time, he saw the room. "What-" And then he noticed Adiana, frozen mid-stretch off the end of the bed with her fingertips almost all the way to her pants. His eyes went wide and his stumbled over words in his embarrassment. "Oh… um… I did-didn't mean to… um…wow – no not wow like…uh… I just…"

"Sam, it's fine," Adiana assured him. Actually, she was amazed he'd never once accidently interrupted them in bed, and this was only the morning after anyway. "But, if you wouldn't mind turning around, so I can get dressed."

"No. Yes. I meant, no, I don't mind." Sam turned around so that he wouldn't have to force one more word from his mouth. Dean was smirking at him, and Sam noticed. "Shut up," he mumbled. Adiana was finally able to get out of bed, and she grabbed new clothes from her bag. While she was getting dressed, Sam's phone rang. He hurriedly took it out of his pocket. "Madison, where are you? ...Well, do you see any street signs? … Alright, hold on, Maddie. We're coming to get you. Just stay where you are."

* * *

Back in Madison's condo, they all gathered in the living room. Sam and Madison were seated just inches apart on the couch. Dean and Adiana stood opposite with the coffee table dividing them. Sitting on the table and gleaming in the sunlight lay Dean's gun.

"I don't remember anything," Madison whispered. Her hands clasped just above her elbows, and she was rocking unconsciously back and forth in small, fluid movements. "I probably killed someone last night, didn't I?"

"There's no way to know yet," stated Dean. Madison blinked up at him.

"Is there something else we can try to make it go away?"

"We'll find something," Sam said desperately, staring at Madison as though she was fading away in front of him. "I mean, there's gotta be some answer, somewhere."

"That's not entirely true," Dean admitted. "Madison, you deserve to know. We've scoured every source. There's just no cure." Madison began to tremble. She looked to Sam.

"Is… is he right?" Sam's jaw worked, and he appeared on the verge of tears. He got up off the couch and turned away, unable to look at Madison anymore. Adiana's hand twitched to reach out to him, but she held it back. Since Sam wouldn't speak, Dean knew he had to, but he was not happy about it.

"Well, we could lock you up at night, but…" He shrugged one of his shoulders and crossed his arms. "…when you bust out, and some night you will, someone else dies. I'm sorry. I am." Tears rolled down Madison's cheeks.

"So, I guess that's all there is to it then," she said in a voice thick with emotion.

"Stop it." Sam turned to face her, having managed to swallow back his own tears. "Don't talk like that." Madison shook her head.

"Sam, I don't wanna hurt anyone else. I don't wanna hurt you." She sniffed and grabbed the gun off the table. Adiana's stomach dropped unpleasantly. She leaned against Dean, and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Madison thrust the gun out at Sam.

"Put that down," Sam instructed quietly. His features twisted with horror. Madison's hand didn't waver.

"I can't do it myself. I need you to help me," she begged.

"Madison, no."

"Sam… I'm a monster."

"You don't have to be!" Sam ignored the gun and put his hands on Madison's shoulders. "We can find a way, alright? I can." He shook her gently on each word. "I'm gonna save you." Madison began to cry harder, sobs wracking her entire body.

"You tried. I know you tried. But this is all there is left." She pressed the gun sideways against his chest. "Help me, Sam. I want you to do it." She touched his face. "I want it to be you." Sam twitched backwards, almost bringing himself out of her grasp.

"I can't."

"I don't wanna die. I don't, but I can't live like this. This is the way you can save me. Please." She clutched his shirt with her one free hand. "I'm asking you to save me."

Sam shook his head rapidly and brushed past Madison, heading for another room. Madison watched him go, the gun hanging limply in her hand. Dean stepped up and carefully took it from her. He followed Adiana, who was already heading after Sam. She lingered right behind Sam's turned back, wondering what comfort she could give him, if anything would be enough.

"Sam, I'm sorry," said Dean in a soft tone. Sam shuffled his feet and turned. Tears had gathered in the corners of his eyes. Adiana had never seen him so miserable. Her chest actually began to ache.

"No, you're right," Sam confessed in a voice that wavered. "She's right."

"Sammy, I got this one," Dean assured him, backing up a step. "I'll do it." Sam shook his head.

"She asked me to."

"You don't have to." Tears fell down Sam's face.

"Yes, I do." He held out his hand for the gun. "Please." Dean hesitated. He glanced at Adiana who stared back at him, and then gave the tiniest of nods. Dean handed the gun to Sam. "Just wait here."

Before he left, Sam looked back at them one more time. His cheeks were pink with barely restrained emotion; his face was shining with tears. He took a deep breath and stepped back out into the living room. Adiana's throat felt swollen, and she was on the verge of crying herself until she got a good look at Dean's face. There was something there like trauma or shock. As she watched, a single tear rolled down his cheek. Dean didn't cry though, not ever. It was so surprising, that she couldn't cry. No, she wouldn't let herself, because then he would have to comfort her. This was her chance to be there for him. She hugged him and realized that he was shaking. His arms wrapped around her out of instinct as he stared towards the living room they couldn't see. When the gun went off, he flinched and Adiana held him more tightly. She waited a few seconds, because Sam had told them to. Then, she stepped back and took one of his hands.

"Come on," she said, and led him back to the living room. Madison lay on the couch, blank eyes staring up at the ceiling. They closed as Sam shut them. He had already folded her hands across her chest. He had knelt, or collapsed, on the ground next to her. His body convulsed as he sobbed. Adiana felt the tears and shoved them back down. Dean needed her right now, but Sam needed her more. She squeezed Dean's hand once and let go. He would understand. She crossed the room and knelt down next to Sam. Then, she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around Sam's shoulders. He glanced at her, her eyes filled with pity and trying to show some strength. Suddenly, he was crying into her shoulder. Adiana swallowed hard and held him. She rubbed a hand over his back, something she had done at home when her little brother cried. Minutes passed, but she knew they couldn't stay.

"Sam," she said gently at last. "Someone might have heard that. We have to go okay?" At first, she wasn't sure if Sam had heard her, but then she felt him nod against her neck. "Okay." She took the gun off of the coffee table behind her and shoved it in her back pocket so Sam wouldn't have to see it again. She supported him as he stood and took one last look at Madison. That brought a fresh wave of emotion, but Adiana was leading him out. Her face was set and strong. They would get through this.


	41. Hollywood Babylon

**For my amazing reviewers: XKaterinaNightingaleX, ladygemini23, Morgan, Km and Imaginary Owls**

**Thank you also to all of those who have read, favorited and followed. **

"First opened in nineteen-twenty-seven, the lot has been in continuous operation for eight decades," announced the tour guide with an overly bright smile. She was forced to fix her headset as the trolley went over a large bump, leaving the passengers to gaze around the Warner Brothers studio lot in silence. As silent as a group of tourists ever could be, that was. Some people chatted amongst themselves. Others were snapping pictures of the famous Warner Brothers water tower or the giant, white buildings that housed production sets. Sam, Dean and Adiana were jammed into the back row of the trolley, along with a young boy who was sullenly licking an ice cream cone.

"Hey, you know this is where they filmed _Creepshow_?" Dean informed the boy excitedly. The boy didn't even glance at him. Adiana put her hand on Dean's knee to distract him.

"Dean, he's gotta be like, eight," she mumbled, keeping her voice quiet, so the boy's mother wouldn't overhear them. Dean shrugged.

"So?"

"_So_, would you show _Creepshow_ to your eight-year-old?" she pointed out. The movie was filled with gore and had a few scenes that could be scary for kids. Dean got that look on his face, which meant he thought she'd just asked a dumb question. Not that he would ever tell her that directly, of course.

"It's a classic," he stated instead.

"A classic?" She nudged Sam's arm. "Sam, help me out here." The guide must have gotten her headset back in working order because her chipper voice once again sounded over the speakers.

"Now, to the right here is Stars' Hollow. It's the setting for the television series _Gilmore Girls_, and if we're lucky, we might even catch one of the show's stars." Sam suddenly appeared very uncomfortable, though Adiana couldn't tell if it was her asking for help or the reference to _Gilmore Girls. _The thought made her smile.

"Come on," Sam beckoned and jumped off of the moving trolley.

"Let's finish the tour. S – dammit," Dean sighed.

The trio was left on their own to wander around the lot. No one seemed to pay them any mind. Adiana had thought there would be better security, but they lucked out. That happened a lot, actually. There were so many times she was sure they'd get caught, but they rarely did. Best not to question it, she supposed. As they walked, she kept a watchful eye out. She was hoping to glimpse someone famous, which is why she nearly tripped over her own feet when Dean spoke.

"Hey, check it out! It's Matt Damon!" Adiana whirled about in the direction Dean was looking and squinted at "Matt Damon." His hair was right and so was the build, but he was on the short side.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's not Matt Damon," Sam argued, voicing Adiana's opinion. However, Dean was adamant.

"No, it is."

"Well, Matt Damon just picked up a broom and started sweeping," Sam noted, as the man pulled a broom out of a small golf cart.

"Yeah, well… he's probably researching a role or something."

"A cop goes undercover to avenge his family." Adiana tried to make her voice sound as dramatic as possible like in all the action movie commercials. "He cleans. He kills. He is… _The Janitor_." She laughed. "Sweeping theaters this summer."

"Ha-ha funny," said Dean, though not very seriously. Even Sam had to smile, until he noticed a large sign marked "Stages" up on a building with a large arrow pointing to their left.

"Hey, this way," Sam directed. "I think Stage Nine is over here."

"Come on, man. Let's keep going this way." Dean took a few more steps in the direction they had been going, but Sam wasn't following.

"No. Come on, we've gotta work." Sam stood his ground, and Dean sighed. Adiana touched his arm, giving it a light squeeze. She was sure they'd have time to take a stroll around later. Although she knew Dean had another reason for trying to pull Sam away from a job. Sam was less sympathetic to Dean's suggestion.

"Dude, you wanted to come to L.A.," Sam pointed out.

"Yeah, for a vacation. I mean, swimming pools and movie stars, not to work."

"This seem like swimming pool weather to you, Dean?" Sam jammed his hands in his pockets, annoyed. "I mean, it's practically Canadian." He did have a point. It was unusually cold for California. There were plenty of other things to do besides swimming though.

"He just–," Adiana interjected, but corrected herself. After all, this hadn't been only Dean's idea. "We just thought that after everything that happened with Madison, it'd be good for you to take a break." She still thought it was a good idea, much better than Sam having to shoot at something else right away.

"Well, maybe I wanna work," Sam snapped, and almost instantly looked sorry when Adiana winced. His voice was softer when he spoke again. "Maybe it keeps my mind off things." Adiana studied his face. She'd talked to him a little about Madison earlier and from what she could tell, he remained pretty broken up about it. She didn't like the idea of him jumping back into hunting, but only Sam knew what he really needed.

"Okay," she agreed.

"Okay, okay," said Dean at nearly the same moment. He changed the subject to the case. "So, this crew guy, he died on set?" Sam nodded.

"Yeah. Rumors spreading like wildfire online saying the set's haunted."

"Like _Poltergeist_?" And just like that Dean was excited again. Sam frowned and looked pensive.

"It could be a poltergeist."

"No, no. Like the movie _Poltergeist_." Sam shrugged, clearly having no idea what Dean was talking about. Dean shook his head in disappointment. "You know nothing of your cultural heritage, do you? It was rumored that the set of _Poltergeist _was cursed, that they used real human bones as props. And, like, at least three of the actors died in it."

"Except none of the actors died on the set of _Poltergeist_," Adiana reminded him. She'd been a huge fan of the horror genre ever since she started reading _Goosebumps_ books as a kid. She liked to think she knew lots of trivia, even though she was sure Dean knew much more. "Their deaths were years apart besides."

"Still, it might be something like that," Sam conceded.

"Alright, so this crew guy – what's his name?" Dean asked.

"Frank Jaffey."

"Frank Jaffey. He got a death certificate or a coroner's report or anything?"

"Well, no, but it's L.A., you know? It might not even be his real name." Sam let out a breath that was almost a laugh. "But the girl who found him said she saw something, a vanishing figure."

"What's the girl's name?"

"Tara Benchley."

"Whoa, whoa." Dean stopped dead in his tracks and stared at Sam. "Tara Benchley? From FeardotCom and Boogeyman, Tara Benchley?" Sam's eyebrows furrowed, and he nodded. Dean lit up. "Dude, why didn't you say so?"

"So now, you're suddenly on board?" Sam might not have been able to see where this was going, but Adiana did. Dean caught Adiana's amused gaze. He cleared his throat and suddenly became very serious.

"Oh, I mean, I'm just a fan of her work." Dean started walking again. "She's very good."

"Meaning she's a babe," Adiana stage-whispered to Sam, putting up a hand on one side of her cheek. She dropped the hand and smiled at Dean. "Who was she in _Boogeyman_?"

"The main chick," Dean answered straightaway. "Katie or Kate or something like that." Adiana bit down on the corner of her lip. She hadn't seen _Boogeyman_ in a long time, mostly because she thought it was a terrible movie, but she did recall the main characters.

"I'm pretty sure that was Emily Deschanel. You know, Zooey Deschanel's sister? Like, this tall." Adiana held up a hand an inch above herself. "Redhead."

"Redhead? Nah. Tara Benchley is a brunette."

Adiana opened her mouth and shut it. She'd never even heard of Tara Benchley, and she was almost positive the lead in _Boogeyman _was a redhead. Was it possible that their two universes had different actresses? That didn't make any sense though. All the movies she'd watched here had the right people in them. Well, everything except films that had Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki in them, but that made sense at least. Then again, there were plenty of people in this universe that didn't exist in hers. She'd met many of them. So the real question then was why did some people exist and others did not? This was starting to make her head hurt. She dropped the thought.

Studio Nine loomed above them as they rounded a corner. The huge metal door to the stage was open, and people were milling about the entrance. The inside of the studio was nearly as crowded, full of technicians, crew and actors talking or calling out to each other. Cameras and other equipment were surrounding the small set, which was a creepy, little house with fake, brown grass and weeds on all sides. Definitely had that cheap, horror movie vibe. None of the actors were on the set at the moment. Adiana hardly knew where to look, as she was curious about absolutely everything. How many people got this close to an actual movie filming, especially without some tour guide chattering constantly in your ear? Unfortunately, she hardly had a chance to examine anything.

"Uh, excuse me!" called a male voice. Adiana immediately turned as the voice sounded in her direction. A man in an expensive suit with wavy, carefully combed hair was looking over at them. She thought they were busted until the man added, "Green Shirt Guy?" Sam and Adiana looked at Dean, who was the one wearing a green shirt. Dean pointed a questioning finger at his chest. "Yeah, you. Come here." Dean approached with both Sam and Adiana watching him apprehensively. The man straightened his collar and asked, "Can you get me a smoothie from Kraft?" His eyes were dismissive, ready to continue whatever conversation he'd been having.

"You want a what from who?" Dean asked in confusion and those eyes sharpened.

"You are a P.A. This is what you do?" scoffed the man with an expression that bordered dangerously on angry. Sam leapt to the rescue, quickly striding over to Dean.

"Yeah, yeah… Uh, one smoothie coming right up," said Sam, promptly grabbing Dean above the elbow and leading him away. Adiana fell in beside them.

"What's a P.A.?" Dean whispered.

"I think they're kind of like slaves," Sam responded. Adiana noticed the man who had asked for a smoothie and his two companions watching them. She gave them a small wave that she hoped was reassuring.

"So what's the plan?" she asked out of the corner of her mouth.

"Well, Dean's gotta get that smoothie. I think we should ask around about Frank Jaffey," suggested Sam.

"Or you could ask around, and I'll do an EMF sweep up in the scaffolding. We'll cover more ground that way," countered Adiana. She shrugged. "Whatever you think."

"No, that's a good idea. Dean, give her the meter." Dean reached inside his coat and pulled out the EMF meter. He placed it carefully in Adiana's outstretched hand.

"Don't drop it. These things are freakin' expensive," Dean warned as he let the meter go. Adiana rolled her eyes.

"Really? We're still not letting that go?" Dean continued to stare at Adiana until she sighed in exasperation. "I dropped one piece of equipment one time."

"Twice." As Adiana's frown deepened, the corner of Dean's lips twitched in a faint smile.

"Oh, you are so not pinning that camera on me. That was entirely your fault."

"A camera?" Sam interrupted. "We have a camera?"

"Had," Dean corrected. "For like, a day. Butterfingers over here smashed it."

"Okay, first of all it was my camera so – No, no, no." Adiana held up her hand when Dean opened his mouth. "You bought it for me. So it was _my _camera. And second of all, I did not smash it. It slipped out of my hand because _someone _was chasing me for it." Adiana had set her hands on her hips. Sam glanced at Dean, whose expression was falsely innocent.

"Do I even want to know?" Sam asked.

"No," said Adiana quickly, noting the men still watching them. "Dean, how about you get that smoothie before all of us get kicked out?" She took his arm above the wrist and pulled him along with her.

"You know I'm just kidding with ya." Adiana peeked at Dean, keeping her frown in place. She wasn't truly angry with him, but she couldn't let him get away with teasing her all the time.

"C'mon babe." Dean slid his arm out of her grasp and around her waist. "I can't help it if you look sexy. That camera was begging me to take a picture of you."

"Uh huh." Adiana was attempting to not appear flattered. This was the problem with pretending to be mad. Dean would compliment her and then kiss her, and she melted like butter even after all this time. At least she was getting a little better about it. Sort of. "Well, I don't appreciate being photographed in my underwear." Dean pouted like a little kid, and Adiana's lips worked as she fought to force back a smile. "What did you need that photo for anyway? You can see this-" She made a sweeping motion with her hand along her side. "-whenever you want."

"I dunno. Just 'cause." Dean shrugged one of his shoulders. He grinned. "Plus I could send it to Sammy if he pissed me off. Watch him squirm." Adiana's lips rounded in an 'O'. She slapped at his chest.

"I would kill you."

"Ah, kidding, babe." Dean rubbed his chest as if she'd actually hurt him. "Really."

"Oh, go get that smoothie before I find something else to hit you with," Adiana grumbled, pushing him out the front door. She took a sharp breath as he caught her waist again and pulled her close. She had a second to stare up into bright, green eyes, and then his kissed her. It was always his kisses that got to her the most. He was so damn good at it. "All right, you and that smart mouth of yours are off the hook. This time."

"Good." His arms loosened from around her. "I was worried I was going to have to delete that picture off my phone." He flashed a smirk and disappeared around the corner.

"Wait, what picture do you have on your phone? Dean!" She made an exasperated noise and turned to go back into the studio, making a mental note to check Dean's cell later. One day she was going to get even with that boy, but right now she had a job to do.

Most of the crew was walking around with one device or another, so no one questioned the EMF meter in Adiana's hand. She drew out the antenna and walked slowly towards the steps up to the scaffolding. The lights remained dark. Gently, she swept it back and forth. Up on the first platform, she scanned over the crowd. She picked out Sam talking to a woman wearing a headset. He didn't appear upset or brooding, even when he walked away and thought no one was watching. Good. Maybe working this case really was what he needed. Nevertheless, she would have to keep an eye on him. There would be more moping before the week was through, of that she had no doubt. She turned back to the platform and continued to climb. The mysterious figure was seen up here somewhere.

For nearly an hour, she climbed all over the scaffolding, and the EMF didn't pick up anything. Not a single light so much as flickered, and she had been very thorough. Filming had started again, so no one had been paying any attention to her. There was no need to worry about being noticed. Although she would have liked to watch, all she got to do was listen to one of the actresses struggle with Latin. Finally, she came down the steps to find Sam and Dean talking over the service table. Well, Sam was talking. Dean was, no surprise, eating.

"There is absolutely no EMF anywhere," she informed them, shoving the EMF into a jean pocket. It barely fit. "So I don't know what's going on. What do you guys think?

"Well, I think being a P.A. sucks, but the food these people get, are you kidding me? Look at these things," said Dean. He held up a sandwich identical to the one she'd seen him polishing off a moment ago. Adiana shook her head. As always, food took priority. "They're like miniature Philly cheesesteak sandwiches. They're delicious." He picked one up and held it out to Adiana.

"No, thanks," declined Adiana, crinkling her nose. He offered it to Sam instead.

"Maybe later," said Sam. Dean shrugged and bit the sandwich in half.

"What did you find out about the dead guy?" Adiana asked Sam, ignoring Dean's loud chewing.

"Frank Jaffey was just filling in for the day. Nobody here knew him or where he lived or anything," Sam informed them.

"Great," sighed Adiana. "So basically we have nothing."

"No, not exactly. I did dig up some stuff about Stage Nine's history."

"Yeah? Like what?" asked Dean through his mouthful of sandwich. Sam's nose flared in disgust, but he continued.

"Like four people died messy here over the past eighty years. Two suicides and two fatal accidents." Dean frowned and swallowed the rest of the sandwich in his mouth.

"Any one of those could be a vengeful spirit."

"Yeah. We've just gotta narrow it down more."

"Yeah." Dean's face lit up with a sudden smile. Adiana blinked, taken aback. He was looking right over her shoulder. Adiana followed his gaze to a pretty brunette woman. "I'll get right on that," said Dean with a zombie-like quality to his tone. He walked around Adiana like she didn't exist. Adiana's eyebrows rose. Ah, that must be Tara Benchley. Sam made a noise next to her.

"What?" she asked and noticed him staring at Tara and Dean. "Oh, that. He's just being a fanboy. It's fine. Believe me when I say that I know what that's like."

"It's just…" Sam shoved his hands in his pockets, watching Dean reproachfully. "He could be more considerate."

"Considerate? That'll be the day," Adiana laughed, and Sam cracked a smile. She looked back over to Dean. He was hovering over Tara who had sat down in her chair and pulled out a book. Maybe he'd asked for an autograph. "Really, this doesn't bother me. Besides, she doesn't even exi-"

It started before she even started to say the word "exist." It began with the thought of the sentence. As Adiana looked at Tara, the actress's outline became fuzzy. An unpleasant sensation rooted in Adiana's stomach, and she started to feel dizzy. It was like vertigo, and yet not quite, but the feeling was familiar. Her gaze was focused on Tara. What was happening? Nothing around Tara changed, but the woman herself was shifting in Adiana's eyes. She was splitting, one image overlapping the other as with... a kaleidoscope. She had thought that before, back on that porch in Independence. But she had never been here. How could these be connected? Could it be… was it because in her world, Tara wasn't real?

With that thought, the overlapping images of Tara started to fade. The dizziness increased, making her head pound. She felt like she was going to be sick. There was nothing where Tara had been, but no, that wasn't right. There was a void. She couldn't see it. Or she sort of could, but it was more like a sense. Something she could feel. It was a wrongness, a violation. She shuddered. Her face had gone ashen. Look away, she had to look away, but she couldn't tear her gaze away from that empty, shimmering air. Her jaws were locked together, holding back a scream. Vaguely, she was aware that Sam had a hold of her arm, that he was talking to her. Other people were looking. There was movement next to the empty chair. Not empty, just absent. Wrong. She was going to scream. She couldn't hold it back. Then, Sam stepped in front of her. The world jolted, shifted violently back to itself.

Adiana reeled backwards, taking shaky, stumbling steps. Sam tried to grab her and missed. She turned, weaving through the crew members and anyone who was looking. She had told herself that she could be strong, that she could face anything if she tried. This was too much. She felt not only like she had seen the wrongness, but that somehow, she too was part of it. Out of the studio she went, but Sam and Dean had caught up to her. They were trying to talk to her. Dean had taken her shoulders and was trying to get her to look at him. God. Her stomach clenched, her chest clamping down. She shoved him, hard. He wasn't expecting it, and so she was able to slip by. She needed to go somewhere without people, but she didn't know where to go. Away from the studio, around the building at least. There, facing the wall, she clapped her hands over her mouth and screamed and screamed.


	42. I Dreamed A Dream

**For my de-lovely reviewers: XKaterinaNightingaleX, Guest and grapejuice101**

Adiana leaned against the backseat, her fingers clenched above her elbows. Running her tongue against her teeth, she could faintly taste blood from where she had bitten her tongue during the seizure. She should have known better. Once her head began to spin and her breath caught in her throat, she should have tried to calm herself, but it had all been too much. All she could do was scream and scream until she was suddenly looking up into the anxious faces of the Winchester brothers. In the future, she would have to be more careful. Doctor Wyatt had warned that these seizures could kill her. In the moment though, she could only think of that void and the wrong, dirty feeling flooding her. Now she knew better. Now she knew that she had to always be on guard.

Chewing her lip, she considered the occurrence as objectively as she could. Why had it happened? Of that much, she could make a fairly educated guess. She had seen a shift because she had recognized and focused on a difference between this world and her own. Somehow witnessing this had made her feel as though she didn't belong here because, well, technically she didn't. No one was supposed to see that missing parallel. That was the basics of it anyway. The actual experience was far more terrifying, but she wasn't about to dwell on it at the moment. So then, the next question was why had this not happened before? She had seen plenty of things that existed here that she didn't have back in her universe. All these crazy creature and spirit attacks didn't happen back home or rather she was pretty sure they didn't. There were plenty of people she had met like Bobby and the Harvelles who were only characters in a television show…the same as Sam and Dean. She glanced at them talking outside the window and just as quickly looked away. No, she couldn't let that thought cross her mind. If she suddenly found herself unable to look at them, she wouldn't even know what to do. Go absolutely ballistic probably. In any case, the question of why this had randomly started happening remained. It could be that she had never questioned the reality of the situation while staring down an angry monster. It could be that this was only happening because she had visited the spot where she came through into this parallel universe. There could be another reason entirely. She hadn't a clue, but she knew someone who might.

The front doors opened, and Sam and Dean slid into the front seat. She didn't need to turn her head to know that they were watching her, searching for any sign that something else was wrong with her. On the walk back to the Impala, she had explained as well as she could what had happened in the midst of apologizing. She hated that she would put them through anything else after all that had happened with Leraie. They assured her that she didn't have to apologize for anything every time that she tried. She would say that they were taking this in stride, but she knew them better. They were nervous. Scratch that, they had looked downright scared when she had first come out of her seizure. Great, she was going to have to warm them back up to the idea of letting her hunt again. Slumping further back in the seat, she suppressed a groan. Besides that, this hunt was supposed to be about Sam. She supposed they could still do it without her.

"What about the case?" she asked tentatively, as they pulled out of the studio and into busy L.A. traffic.

"It's a bust. Tara showed me a picture of the "dead" guy. His real name's Gerard St. James. He's an actor," explained Dean.

"Oh."

Adiana pulled her legs up onto the seat and rested the back of her head against the window. She wondered if she should wait to talk to them until they were a little less freaked out. Or maybe it was better to tell them now while they were still worried. She tapped a finger thoughtfully against her arm. They might be more likely to agree. She hated to be manipulative, but at this point it appeared to be her best option.

"So um… I think I might know a way to figure out what exactly happened to me, so that, you know, it doesn't happen again." Two pairs of eyes met hers in the rearview mirror. Their gazes weren't as thrilled as she had hoped, but they were definitely curious. Sam twisted around in his seat.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," she said and grimaced. "But you're not going to like it."

* * *

"You're right," muttered Dean. "I don't like it."

Adiana sighed. He might not like it, but he had agreed to it. They all had. This had taken nearly a week to set up, and they had been lucky that it only took that long. They'd had to call in favors, track down ingredients, not to mention find someone else for the Hollywood case, which had turned out to be less over than they had originally thought. And of course, none of it would have been possible if Bobby hadn't found the summoning ritual for them at a speed that had surprised Adiana.

Now everything for the summoning ritual was set. Symbols, mostly Arabic, had been painted onto the floor in lamb's blood. Between the symbols was an intricate web of dried blood that reminded her of a spider web or dream catcher. Yes, a dream catcher seemed appropriate considering what they were trying to do. Salts from the Dead Sea were sprinkled in all four corners. Water from that same place and some African dream root had taken the longest to get. She currently held both, along with several other ingredients she'd never heard of, in a small wooden bowl in her hand. The concoction was an off-putting shade of yellow, and she was not looking forward to drinking it. Seriously, who wanted to drink anything that they'd had to put their hair into? But, like the Golden Trio in The Chamber of Secrets, this was something she felt that she had to do. Channel your inner Hermione Granger. Right.

"Well, here goes nothing," she murmured, stepping into the web. She found the center and sat, being careful to make sure nothing spilled out of the bowl. Ugh, it even smelled gross. She gave the Winchesters a reassuring smile, took a deep breath and gulped down the contents of the bowl. The first swallow was the hardest. The taste was borderline putrid, and the texture was like half formed jello. She had to fight to keep it down, but each swallow after that got easier. When the bowl was empty, she stretched out on her back with the bowl resting gently against her churning stomach. According to text Bobby had sent, the effect should be almost…

…_immediate. Adiana blinked in the sudden glare of the sun. Wow, that was bright. She shaded her face with her hand and surveyed the area around her. It was the Warner Brothers studio lot. That made sense as she'd been thinking about this place a lot, only in this dream it was completely deserted. So this is what the zombie apocalypse feels like. The joke didn't make the place feel any less creepy. Okay, she needed to get to somewhere she could visualize completely. Once she had her bearings, she set off for the row of studios. Stage Fifteen. Stage Eleven. Here it was. A few feet away from the open door, she sat and crossed her legs. She stared hard at the door, and then closed her eyes. She visualized the door and the woman from her dreams standing in it. _

"_Lady from my dreams…" She was supposed to call the creature by name, but still having no idea what it was, this was the best she could do. "I, Adiana, do summon you to this dream. Grant my wish and reveal your secrets." Silence. There was no shift in the air or a footstep on the ground. She peeked with one eye. The doorway was empty. She sighed and stood up. It had been worth a shot. She had twenty minutes in here before one of the boys broke the web. That was enough time to try again in a bit. A shiver passed across her shoulders. Adiana looked behind her. She narrowed her eyes and blinked. There was nothing there. Cautiously, she took a step back towards Stage Eleven. The sense that she was being watched deepened. _

"_Hello?" she called. No one answered. Then, there was a loud, echoing click behind her. The sound reminded her of when they turned on a stage light in the movies. She turned back to Stage Nine, distracted. It looked dark inside. She walked over to the entrance and peered in. A light had turned on. That single spotlight was facing three chairs, and in one of them sat the woman. Her wardrobe was elegant as ever, but her expression was not pleased. _

"_Well, are you coming in or are you going to stand there and stare at me?" the woman snapped. Adiana blushed and strode quickly over to the empty chair across from the woman. It had her name sewn onto the back of it like a real movie star. She sat in it. The woman tapped her finger against an armrest. "I do not appreciate being summoned in this manner. It is… unpleasant." _

"_Oh, um, sorry," Adiana apologized. "I didn't know how else to get a hold of you." The woman continued to stare at her. Adiana shifted under her gaze. The anger was making her nervous. Since she didn't know what this creature was, she didn't know what it could do, and she'd obviously made it mad. She glanced at the empty chair. "Are you expecting someone?" The woman's eyebrows furrowed, then rose in understanding. _

"_Perhaps," she said with a smile. _

"_Right." On second thought, Adiana preferred the anger. The unexpected change in mood was unnerving. "Well, the reason I summoned you here is that I had this incident a little while ago. I was looking at this actress and thinking about how she didn't exist in my universe when suddenly the world went all funny." _

"_Funny," the woman repeated slowly, tasting the word. _

"_Yes, funny." Adiana crossed her legs and leaned forward. "She started to vanish and then there was this void and I felt… I felt…" _

"_Like you didn't belong here." _

"_Exactly." So the woman did know what she was talking about. Adiana had been right. Then, she had to be able to help. "So what can I do about it?" The woman laughed as if the question was a joke. _

"_Nothing."_

"_Nothing? But… can you do something about it?"_

"_No." Adiana felt the beginnings of panic clawing its way up her chest. _

"_There has to be –"_

"_You're ripping." Adiana just stared, uncomprehending. The woman was looking back at her mildly, swinging a foot back and forth to a tune that wasn't there. _

"_I'm what?"_

"_Ripping. That's the best word I've come up with for it." The woman shrugged. "This universe is rejecting you. Your body can try to adapt, but it won't be able to. You're starting to see the rips, the parallels. It will tear you apart sooner or later. Rip your very being. Right. To. Pieces." She sighed at Adiana, who was gaping soundlessly at her. "I do suppose this is partially my fault. You need a human to bring you through the universes you see, but it's not really in their make-up to handle that for long periods of time. I'm really much better with dreams, I assure you."_

"_What are you?" Adiana asked quietly, finally finding her voice, although her head was spinning. The woman smiled thinly. _

"_I am older than you. I am the first of my kind. I am smoke and I am flame. I am everything you want and everything you cannot have." Adiana was so not in the mood for riddles. _

"_I don't understand."_

"_I know you don't. I like it that way. It's safer for me. But there is something you must understand." The woman shifted to the edge of her chair and leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. "You must come back with me." _

"_Back?" Adiana rubbed the side of her head. "Back where?"_

"_To your home. We must close the gap before Azazel gets through."_

"_Aza – Yellow Eyes?"_

"_Yes." The woman wasn't smiling anymore. Adiana had never seen her face so serious. "It is the only way to stop him from destroying your universe as he plans to destroy this one." _

"_That's his game plan?"_

"_In a manner of speaking." _

"_Why do you care?"_

"_I am fond of your universe. I merely left because I grew bored with it." The woman's expression saddened. "This place is my home. It has been for hundreds of years. But should it be overrun by demons, I need somewhere to go."_

"_I…I…" This was all too much information at once. This universe couldn't be overrun by demons. The show's writers wouldn't… but this wasn't a show, it was reality. Or was it? She groaned and buried her face in her hands. To save her world, she must go back, but if she went back that meant leaving all of this behind. It meant leaving Dean behind and Sam. And if she didn't leave, she would be "torn apart," as the woman had put it. Her fingers slid down from her face. "How long?" The woman looked taken aback. _

"_What?"_

"_How long do I have until I stop existing or whatever it is that's going to happen to me?" _

"_I – Well, I don't know exactly when," the woman admitted with disgruntlement. "It could be a few years or it could be tomorrow. But make no mistake, it will happen eventually." _

"_Fine. Fine, then I could just stay out of Yellow Eyes' way until then. He needs both of us, right?"_

"_Yes, but –"_

"_Good. You keep hidden from him, too." The air around the woman began to shimmer like rising heat. _

"_Now you listen to me, girl –"_

"_No, you listen. I'm not saying I'll go and I'm not saying I'll stay. But I need time. I need time to think, and I need to talk to Dean and Sam." _

"_You would throw away your universe and your life over two mortal men!" _

"_Damn right, I would." Adiana tilted her head up stubbornly. It was the woman's turn to stare. Finally, she gritted her teeth. _

"_If you change your mind, you know where to find me. In the meanwhile, you'd better run fast, Adiana. Yellow Eyes isn't the only one looking for you now." Flames roared up around the woman, and this time Adiana didn't flinch away from them. They were hot, but not unbearable. Between the roaring flames, she thought she saw the outline of wings, large and bat-like. When the flames died away, the woman was still sitting there, her eyes narrowed. "You set a trap," she hissed. _

"_Oh, yes, that." Adiana had almost forgotten about the trap. "I just wasn't sure if you were going to talk to me. It should be broken any minute now." That wasn't good enough for the creature though. Her face twisted in fury, and she let out a loud roar. Adiana clapped her hands over her ears, getting up out of her chair and nearly tripping over it. _

"_You!" the woman bellowed. Only she wasn't looking at Adiana. One after another spotlights, then floodlights kicked on, flooding the space with blinding light. Adiana squinted, her eyes watering and saw Dean hovering near the entrance with a blade clutched in his hand. "This is your doing!" _

"_Guilty," said Dean with a smirk. "So if you wanna take your anger out on someone, your ugly ass can take it out on me." The woman roared and the bulbs overhead began to burst, sparking and setting the rafters aflame. More flames ballooned out from the creature, heading straight for Dean. _

"_No," Adiana breathed, and she launched herself at the woman. They collided, smacking into one another and rolling on the ground. Something that felt like scales brushed against Adiana's face, and again she saw the glimmering outline of a wing. There was a whoosh, and the wings beat, lifting the woman up. Adiana felt blood trickling down her cheek. She inhaled and coughed on the smoke. "Dean," she coughed, trying to call to him. She got unsteadily to her feet, beating flames out of her shirt sleeve. Fire was crackling all around her. "Dean." _

"_Right here." One arm wrapped around her shoulders. Adiana looked up at him, the smoke causing her eyes to water. He was scanning above him. "C'mon, Sammy," he muttered under his breath. The fire had spread too far and too fast for them to try and get out. If you died in a dream you just woke up, but death by fire meant a lot of pain first. Adiana leaned against his chest, attempting to breathe some cleaner air. She saw the blade glinting in Dean's hand. It was a little larger than a knife and silver in color, though she didn't think that was actually what it was made out of. It looked stronger and the shine was too bright. On the end of the handle that was sticking out from his hand, she saw a carved symbol. She focused on it, memorizing the shape. The floor beneath them abruptly, rocked. They staggered as it rocked again and again until – _

Adiana sat up. The bowl in her lap clattered to the floor, rolling over one of the symbols which had been nearly scuffed out by Sam's shoe. She sucked in a long breath of cool air. Sam's hand slid from her shoulder. She couldn't have been happier to see him. She threw her arms gratefully around him. With her arms around his shoulders, Adiana brushed her cheek. No blood. Good. That meant no more dream. Beside her, Dean sat up as well.

"Dude, you couldn't have woken us up five minutes ago?" he groaned while he rubbed his stiff back.

"You said twenty minutes," Sam stated, helping Adiana to her feet.

"Yeah well, you ain't getting a hug from me."

* * *

Dean stared up at the ceiling. He couldn't sleep. He should be exhausted. After facing off that damn thing Freddy-Krueger style, they'd had to pack everything up and get out of town before it showed up. During the drive, Adiana had relayed everything that had happened to Sam. Watching her expressions in the mirror, he'd gotten the feeling that there were a lot of things that she would have left out, at least for a while. It was a good thing he'd gone with her then. Hell, he hadn't been about to let her face that thing alone. That was what she wanted now though, to think about everything on her own before she got their opinion. That was fine by him. He didn't even know what his opinion was. Usually he was good at making quick judgments, but this… this was something else. He didn't want to let this thing take her away to who-fucking-knew where. If he let that happen, he'd never see her again. He'd never know if she was really safe. But if this creature was a straight shooter, then she would die. Twice he'd almost witnessed that. Maybe even three times if he counted that seizure outside the studio. With Sam's help, he'd had to hold her down and her body jerked violently, her eyes rolling up into her head. He didn't want to have to do that again. He couldn't watch her dying again. He rubbed a hand over his eyes, and looked down at her. Adiana was sleeping against his chest, one hand curled up in front of her pink parted lips. White scars lined the edges of her wrists. Sometimes it felt like that was all he gave her, more scars. He gingerly touched the back of her hand. The fingers curled tighter, but she didn't wake.

Dean blinked back up at the ceiling. He had to wonder too about how Sammy was taking this. His little brother usually took things a lot worse than he did, and if he still had a thing for Adiana, that couldn't make things any better. He'd definitely been quiet and moody. Madison and now this. Sam was definitely not going to be a bucket of sunshine. Dean turned his head towards Sam's bed. Sam was laying face down with his hands under his pillow, but he was being very quiet. Dean frowned.

"Sammy," he whispered. "You awake?" There was a pause before Sam answered.

"Yeah." Sam turned so his mouth wasn't on his pillow. His eyes opened in the dim light. "I can't sleep."

"Me neither."

"I don't know how she does it." Sam indicated Adiana with his elbow, who was sleeping soundly. Dean smiled.

"Pretty sure this girl could see Godzilla tearing down the street outside this motel, and she'd still sleep. That takes talent."

"Yeah. I guess." Sam observed her with a troubled gaze. "Dean, why don't we just tell her what it is?"

"You know why. That bitch said so herself, she doesn't want Adiana knowing what it is. If shutting our traps is going to keep her safe, then we're doing it. End of story." Dean realized that he was raising his voice when Adiana shifted. They were both silent as she rolled over, nuzzling into the pillow instead.

"Dean?" whispered Sam, after a while.

"Yeah?"

"What are you going to tell her, you know, when she asks?"

"I don't know," said Dean with a shrug. He slid an arm around her waist, and her body instinctively pressed back against his. He felt Sam's gaze on them and looked up. "How 'bout you?" Sam got that puppy dog look on his face, and once he saw that, Dean's breath froze up inside him. His brother rolled over and went quiet for a long time. Just when Dean's eyelids were about to close, Sam's voice rose out of the darkness.

"Dean, you're going to have to let her go."


	43. Cat's Out Of The Bag

**For my b-e-a-utiful reviewers: XKaterinaNightingaleX, grapejuice101, Amara Rose 4 Ever, Carver Edlund and Hope of Darkness **

Adiana awoke from a sound sleep feeling oddly well rested. She had just been so exhausted and overwhelmed. No dreams had troubled her last night, and she woke ready to consider the problem at hand. She covered a yawn with the back of her hand and stretched out her toes. Sam sounded asleep, although she couldn't be positive when he had his back to her. Dean was sleeping for sure. His breathing was slow and quiet in her ear, and his body held none of the tension she had felt last night before she fell asleep. It was the perfect time to do some serious thinking.

First things first then. She was almost certain that the boys knew what this creature that kept showing up was. How did she know that? Well, for one, Sam had gotten this shifty look on his face when she was talking about it yesterday and was throwing glances at Dean when he thought she wasn't looking. Her second piece of evidence was that blade Dean had brought into the dream. She had never seen it, and she had been walked through their entire inventory of weapons back when they'd been teaching her about hunting. Besides that, every creature had a specific weakness or weapon to take it down. If Dean hadn't known what could hurt the creature, he would have taken something general like plain iron or silver, which could kill lots of monsters. She frowned, lightly sliding her fingers over Dean's hand at her waist. So why weren't they telling her what it was if they knew? Her best guess on that front came from what the creature had told her. It felt secure knowing that Adiana didn't have a clue what it was. That knowledge could potentially be used to destroy it, so that wasn't exactly surprising. In sum, the boys were trying to protect her. Fine. That sounded like them. Only problem was, she needed to know. It mattered to her, now more than ever. She would never be able to make the decision that had been set before her until she knew what that woman was.

Okay, so she had to figure out what the creature was, and the boys already had that information. Second problem. How was _she _going to find out? Out of the two Winchesters, Sam was the one most likely to tell her. He seemed like he wanted to tell her already, but Dean had likely bullied him into silence. If she got Sam alone, she might be able to weasel the truth out of him. However, she had the impression that Dean wasn't going to leave her side long enough for that to happen. If she woke him up now – but no, that might make too much noise and wake Dean, too. Next option, confront Dean. That could go two ways. She could conceivably make him see it her way. On the other hand, he could completely shut her down. He was worried enough as it was. Third option, she figured it out by herself. With all that she had seen in her dream, she had a lot more to go on now. The fire she had already known about, but not those wings. Plus, the woman had given her a riddle. What had it been exactly? Something about being old and smoke and flame. Adiana bit on the inside of her lip and stared at the pattern on Sam's blanket as she thought hard. The woman had said so much, and she couldn't remember it all exactly. She'd have to come back to that riddle. The blade could be another hint. If Dean had it in a dream, he must also have the real thing, and he would keep it close.

Slowly, Adiana slipped from Dean's grasp. No movement. Excellent. So where would Dean keep this blade? Somewhere close, where he could get to it quickly. She checked the bedside table. Too easy. His coat, maybe? Her feet were silent on the carpet as she crept over to the chair he had slung his jacket over. There was a penknife in the pockets, but not the blade. Travel bag? That one she hovered over for a few minutes. Going through his bag felt like an invasion of privacy, but she had to know. She slid open the zipper and rummaged around. Clothing, razor, John's journal, handcuffs, shotgun… Lots of things, but not one of them was the blade he'd had. Hang on, but what was this?

From the bottom of the canvas bag, she drew out an old, faded shirt. It wasn't the shirt that had interested her. What interested her was that there was something folded inside the shirt, and that something felt like a folder full of papers. What are you hiding, Dean? Adiana glanced over at Dean. He still hadn't moved. A quick look. She would take one look and if it had nothing to do with her, she'd put it away and apologize to him later. She unfolded the shirt and pulled a thick manila folder out. It wasn't labeled. Of course not. No one labeled folders they were trying to keep secret. One of her hands hovered over the cover. Should she? If he wanted her to know what was in here, he wouldn't be trying so hard to hide it. Unless it wasn't her he was hiding it from? Her stomach was bubbling as though she'd swallowed something unpleasant. She couldn't do it. Feeling disgusted with herself for even getting this far, she went to shove the folder back into the shirt when one of the papers slipped part of the way out. Her eyes caught it before she could think twice, and they widened. The piece of paper was part of a map on which one town had been circled: Independence, Kansas. Her gaze traveled up to Dean's back and to the paper again. That's when she made her decision. She sat back and opened the folder.

* * *

Sam was the first one to wake up, after sleeping in much past their usual early wakeup time. Adiana figured he'd probably been up late last night. Considering what she knew about Sam, being up late consisted of him worrying. When she heard the bed springs creaking, she glanced over just in time to note that the first thing Sam did was check the bed where he thought she'd be. It made her smile softly and just a touch sadly.

"Good morning," she greeted quietly from her spot on the couch, so that he wouldn't panic even for a moment when he saw her gone.

"Hey." He sat up in bed and rolled his shoulders, stretching them. He gave a nod towards her laptop. "What have you been doing?"

"I think I found us a case. Come see." She put a hand on the seat cushion beside her. Sam got out of his bed and came over to the couch. Once he had sat down, she turned the laptop screen so that he could see. The screen showed two pictures in a newspaper article. One of the pictures was of a young woman's face. She had long brown hair and green eyes with a distant gaze. The other picture was of a man with a large mustache and a hard look. "Okay, so there's this couple, Ryan and Emma Ford. Three days ago, the police get a phone call from a friend of Ryan's telling them that they need to come to the Ford residence ASAP. They get there and find this." She brought up another page, this one from a police database. This one was a photo of the house, small but pretty and right on a beach. "See those?" She pointed at indentations in the sand. "Those are drag marks. There's blood in there too, apparently. They lead all the way from the Fords' bedroom to the water. The blood is Ryan's. They had it tested. They also dragged the harbor for his body and found nothing. There were no signs of forced entry. Oh, and his wife? She's missing.

"'So what?' you say. His wife killed him, dumped him and took off. That's the general suspicion, after all. It makes sense. There's nothing supernatural about this." She leaned back and held up a finger. "But, wait. There's more. Check this out." She touched a few keys and yet another picture popped up. This one was a close-up of the drag marks in the sand. "So, if someone is dragging Ryan down to the water, they're gonna leave footprints in the sand. If they're smart, they'll cover them up, but look." She gestured to the sand on the right of the marks. "On this side you see a partial footprint. That's not the killer's. It's Ryan's. I checked all along the marks and that side is just imprints left from people on the beach. No one did anything on that side at all. No clean up. Nothing. Then there's the left side." A few keys clacked and the screen zoomed in. Sam's eyebrows furrowed.

"What is that?" he asked. Adiana shrugged.

"That's the big question. They're not mentioned in the papers, and the police don't know either. On the report, someone wrote down 'possible animal tracks' with a big question mark. Of course, an animal on the beach wouldn't be unheard of, but there were a few of these inside the house in blood." They both stared at the imprint. It was curved along both sides, but longer on one with small bumps connecting the two sides. Finally, Adiana shook her head. "So anyway, there's that. Then, there's this." She pulled up a picture of Ryan and Emma standing next to each other. "I mean, look at them. Ryan is this huge, beefy guy and Emma's gotta be what… maybe five feet and skinny. Like I wish I was that skinny." She squinted at the picture. "Basically, there is no way she is dragging him all the way from the second floor of their house to the water and out far enough that she was sure his body wasn't going to wind up on shore. And there would be a much better attempt at covering this up if it was pre-meditated with a secret lover or hired assassin, right?"

"Right. Yeah, it's definitely weird," Sam agreed. "Do you mind, if I—" He held out a hand toward the laptop.

"In one second. I haven't told you the best part. Since this was looking weird and all, I did some digging. Luckily, this is an old, historic town, so they have online newspaper archives. A lot of the older papers have been damaged, but this one was mostly okay…" She began going through the links. "Where are you.. Ah, here." She stopped. "This article's from eighteen fifty-three. Elizabeth Michaels was accused of murdering her husband George. Allegedly, she killed him in their house and dragged him down to the water. No body was ever found, and Elizabeth was already gone when someone found the place. Oh, and they also owned a beachfront property. The story caused quite a sensation. Okay, now you can have the laptop."

Adiana handed the laptop over and leaned back against the armrest while Sam went through everything she had pulled. She was a little proud of herself for finding it. Of course, it was probably nothing for Sam. He was the one who taught her how to hack into all this stuff.

"Well, it looks like a lead," he said at long last.

"But…"

"But… what?" Sam, for his part, did appear genuinely confused. Adiana's eyebrows rose.

"But, Adiana, we can't take this case right now," she said in a poor imitation of Sam's voice. "We'll have to give it to someone else. I'm worried about you. Dean's worried about you. We can't let you out on a dangerous case. Something might happen, and I won't be able to stop it." Sam was just staring at her, and Adiana's shoulders drooped. "I'm sorry. That was really insensitive of me. It's only—"

"No, I get it. It's just that, I wasn't going to say any of that. I think we should take the case."

"You…you do?"

"Yeah." Adiana crossed her legs on the couch and squinted at him.

"Really?"

"Really."

"For real?"

"Yeah," Sam said with an almost laugh. "For real."

"Well, thanks." He nodded and went back to reading through the old article, but despite the small smile on his lips, Adiana didn't think he looked quite as happy as he had before. She nearly told him then, but she didn't. Instead, she leaned on his arm, skimming the article again. "The way they word this, it's like they're so surprised. Not that I think she did it, but still."

"You know, most people back then didn't believe in female killers. Not in picket-fence, little towns."

"Sexist bastards," Adiana mumbled under her breath. "I could take out a whole town if I wanted to."

"All right there, Mrs. Fisher," said Sam, smiling indulgently. He closed the laptop and handed it back to her. She straightened up.

"Excuse me?" She jabbed him lightly in the side with her finger so he jumped.

"Ah."

"You don't think I could plan a murder spree?"

"I don't know." Now he was actually grinning. Excellent. She leapt at him, knocking him down on the couch. It was true that he could have easily held her off, but he'd obviously not been expecting an attack. She smiled impishly down on him with one of her hands on either of his shoulders.

"Sam Winchester, I will strangle you right here and now." Sam's eyebrows rose, but instead of pushing her off, he folded his arms across his chest.

"Can't. You've got a witness."

"Who?" She followed Sam's gaze over to Dean. She rolled her eyes. "Oh please, he's not even awake."

"I'll wake him up."

"How? You can't get to him."

"I'll yell."

"And I'll cover your mouth." She raised a warning hand.

"You're going to use one hand to strangle me?" Adiana opened her mouth and shut it. She bit the inside of her lip and thought. Then, her lips curved into a smile.

"They'll throw out your witness." Sam's forehead wrinkled when he frowned.

"Why?"

"He's a wanted criminal with much worse charges then mine. His testimony will never stand in court. Take that." She poked him in the chest. "I'm walking, Mr. Lawyer."

"What, so I leave you two alone for a few minutes and this turns into a Law and Order?" Adiana shifted back from Sam and peaked over at Dean. He hadn't got out of bed, but he had rolled over and his eyes were open. He winked. Irked, Adiana stuck her tongue out at him. He grinned cheekily. "That's real cute." He ducked under his pillow, off which the couch cushion Adiana had thrown bounced harmlessly.

"Okay, get out from under that pillow before I change my mind about throwing something else," Adiana granted, tapping one of her feet on the floor. "We're going." Dean peeked out from under the pillow, and then lifted his head when he saw that no more cushions were going to be thrown at him. Adiana had picked up her laptop and was putting it in her bag, while Sam made his way over to bathroom. Dean sat up and slung his legs over the edge of the bed.

"On that case?" Adiana slung his bag up on the end of the bed and pulled out some clothes, making extra sure that he saw her rifling up everything inside.

"How long exactly have you been awake?"

"Adiana, we've got bigger fish to fry than-"

"That's the thing about fish, Dean. The bigger they are, the longer they need to fry." She set the clothes down next to him and kissed his cheek. "So right now, I'd rather focus on the little fish, okay? Hey." She put her finger under his chin, forcing his gaze towards her. "Please?"

"All right," agreed Dean, after consideration. Adiana kissed him on the lips this time.

"Thank you."

"Sure." Dean stood up and picked up the clothes she'd placed beside him. "Alright, Sammy, you can stop staring yourself down in the mirror. I'm still the handsome one, and I need to use the shower." Sam poked his head out of the bathroom door. His lips were turned down in a scowl. He pulled the toothbrush from his mouth.

"You're a friggin' jerk sometimes. You know that?" As they started arguing, Adiana shook her head. Oh, boys. There was little use stopping this argument, and in the weirdest way, it made her smile. She started to zip up Dean's bag. It was almost like things had already gone back to normal. Her hand rested on the bag when it was closed, and her gaze clouded slightly. Almost.


End file.
